The Flame Within The Storm - 5th in the FLAME Series
by RBGirl
Summary: Both humor and drama continue within the world of the Dillons, as portrayed in this 5th story of the 'FLAME' series. A dual, yet separate storm, impacts both Matt and Kitty, threatening their lives and the lives of those who love them.
1. Chapter 1 -The Bear

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Bear**

"Now Ollie, you put that chair down!" Kitty stood her ground as 'Queen of the Long Branch'. Even though technically not the majority owner any longer, she still felt an obligation to protect her twenty-five percent.

Ollie Dobbs held the wooden chair over his head, ready to toss it into the mirror behind the bar. The reflection that came back at him more than fit his nickname of _Bear_ —the only man in Dodge that was taller and broader than Matt Dillon. Ollie's huge frame was covered with three hundred pounds of muscle and bulk. His full beard and mustache completed the grizzly appearance. Bear's enormous body weaved back and forth, balanced only by his size 16 boots.

"I just want one more drink!"

Kitty eased a step closer; her voice still held authority, but was wrapped in a calm, soothing tone. "You know that the Marshal is going to be here any minute now and he's going to have to put you in jail. Just put the chair down, Ollie and I'll see if I can help you with that. Maybe I can talk him into giving you less time."

For a moment, Ollie stood perfectly still—or as much as was possible in his inebriated state—as he tried to sort through Kitty's suggestion. The words ... _marshal_... _time_...and... _jail_ managed to pierce through his drunken fog. Bear inched the chair down, until finally it rested again on the floor.

'Ollie' scowled at the 'Bear' in the mirror, as he tried to piece together again what it was that Miss Kitty had said. He was only able to recall snippets of her telling him that she would help him. At that moment, Ollie heard the creak of the batwing doors opening and the familiar, commanding voice of the Marshal.

The Bear and the Lady, both turned to face the lawman: Ollie's eyes filled with dread, Kitty's with relief.

"Bear!" Matt tossed his head in a weary fashion, "You do this every payday!"

"I didn't mean to. I just drunk a little too much this time. She…" Ollie staggered slightly and nodded toward Kitty, "Your wife… She…she said she would talk to you…and I wouldn't have to go to jail."

Kitty moved to the right of the drunken man, "No, I said maybe _less_ jail time, Ollie."

Matt looked around the bar, surprised to see only one broken table and a couple of busted chairs. Keeping a guarded eye on Ollie's movement, Matt continued to ease closer. "Maybe just overnight this time," the Marshal offered.

At this point, the drunken man had made no attempt to go for his gun, but Matt had to consider it. Although he wanted to tell Kitty to step farther back, he also didn't want to draw Bear's attention to her in any special way. Dillon planned that when he got close enough, he would simply swing wide and bring Ollie to his knees.

Throwing a quick glance in Kitty's direction to insure her safety, Matt drew back his fist; but he must have telegraphed the punch too much in advance, because at the last second Ollie Dobbs started to duck.

It was at that point that everything became a series of falling dominoes… Ollie fell back, grabbing wildly for something to stop his fall. What he found, was Kitty, whom he inadvertently pulled into the line of fire, just as the Marshal made contact. By the time Matt's brain could process the switch, it was too late to stop the blow. He watched...as his massive fist connected with Kitty's fragile jaw. Dobbs threw up his hands. He wasn't so drunk that he didn't know—in that instant—that he was in some _real_ trouble now.

Ollie had been working at the LadyK Ranch for two years and knew the Marshal to be a fair man; but the one thing you learned right away was, _to_ _never mess with Dillon's family_. Now, here Ollie was, guilty of accidentally hiding behind Dillon's wife and causing _her_ to suffer _his own_ punishment.

 **LongBranchLongBranchLongBranch**

Dobbs was the farthest thing from the Marshal's mind at that moment. Matt had struck his Kitty; not just a hit, but a full-blown, angry-fisted hit. The bone-on-bone sound cut through Dillon's heart like a knife. Although, he wasn't able to stop the blow, he was fast enough to catch his wife before she hit the ground. She was out cold. He had sent enough force to bring down a 300-pound man not a 110-pound woman.

Just as Dobbs thought to run, Pete slipped in behind the bar, retrieving the bat he kept under the counter. One swift swing and the Bear was down. Pete motioned to a couple of guys in the back corner of the bar to drag Ollie down to the jail for the Marshal. Pete almost felt sorry for Bear. _Almost_.

Earlier that day, Ollie had been sent into town on an errand for Festus. Seeing no harm in it, the big man was just going to have one drink to cool off. Apparently, that plan had failed miserably.

Hours later, after Ollie had failed to return, the hill man had come into town in search of the missing ranch hand; and was just a couple of minutes behind Matt Dillon's entrance into the Long Branch. His timing was perfect: The ranch foreman pushed into the batwing doors, just as Matt landed the infamous punch.

Throughout his life, Festus had made it a point to only believe what was seen with his very own eyeballs. Yet, even as he watched Matthew cold-cock Miss Kitty, he questioned whether his squinty-eyes had deceived him.

Now Matt sat on the floor, cradling his wife in his arms, "Ahh, honey, I'm _so_ sorry!" Dillon had never hit a woman in his life; and for it to be Kitty… He brushed the hair from her face, bringing the fresh red marks into view, as well as the blood that was beginning to ooze from her lip.

"How is she Matthew?" Festus squatted down beside the Marshal, "Ooooh, golly bill, Matthew! You shur put a purty strong whompin on her!"

"I... I…" Matt's mouth hung open, void of any coherent words.

" Ya didn't braake nuthin did ya?"

"No, I didn't break...I mean, I...don't...know...Will you shut up!" All the while, as Matt was trying to process what had just happened, that familiar hillbilly dialect kept buzzing in his ears, worse than an annoying gnat that wouldn't go away.

Festus winced as he studied the bright red marks on the side of Miss Kitty's face. Right there, Matthew; don't that kinda got the shape of your fist?"

"Will you shut _up_!"

"I'm tellin' ya, Matthew, that's gonna leave a mark!"

"I thought I told you to _shut up_ and it's going to be a hell of a lot worse than a mark!" Matt suddenly stood, bringing Kitty up with him. "She should have come to by now." Fearing the worst, he turned and ran toward Doc's office, with Festus right on his heels.

"Mebbe not, Matthew. You gotta right powerful blow in that there arm, ya know?"

"Will you STOP saying that!?" If Kitty had not been in his arms, Matt would have used that powerful arm's blow to shut up his friend.

Festus mounted the staircase ahead of Matt, yelling at the top of his lungs for Doc. The town physician stepped out onto the landing, ready to start chewing butt, when he saw Matt quickly approaching the top of the stairs with Kitty in his arms. Doc stepped back and followed the big man inside, directing him to lay the unconscious woman on the exam table.

"Kitty, sweetheart Doc is here. He's going to make it okay." The desperation was choking Dillon to the point he could hardly speak. He moved aside, barely enough for Doc to step in.

"Good grief! Was there some kind of ruckus at the Long Branch?" Enraged was hardly a strong enough word to cover Doc's emotion. "Who did this to her? Matt, where were you?!" The physician motioned for Haggen to hand him a nearby towel.

"Here ya go, Doc," Festus handed over the towel, then looked at the guilty culprit. "Matthew, ain't ya gonna tell em yore the one what slugged Miss Kitty?"

"Festus! Will. You. **_Shut. Up_**!" Matt continued to hover over Doc, while also yelling at the scruffy-faced hill man.

Doc froze for a moment, and then dipped his head ever so slightly as he turned to the man lurking over his shoulder. Matt was wearing an expression that the old man had never seen on the Marshal before. It was a jumbled mix of shock, shame, regret…and a myriad of other swirling emotions.

Turning back to his patient, the older man gently wiped blood from the petite woman's split lip and from around her nose. "Nothing is broken, but she's going to have a hell of a shiner...and that bottom lip...is going to be twice its normal size. I'll have to get some ice to put on it, to try to keep the swelling down."

Kitty began showing signs of life, as she moaned softly and made a couple of attempts to open her eyes. "Matt? Matt, what happened?" Her voice was faint, as she struggled to keep her eyes opened—one of which was already swelling shut.

"Kitten, I am so sorry, sweetheart." Doc stepped aside to allow the remorseful Marshal closer access. "Ollie ducked and... Honey, I couldn't stop it." Matt moved closer still and said again, "I'm _so_ sorry."

"It's okay...ouch!" Kitty flinched when the simple act of speaking caused her lip to bleed again. She sat up too quickly and all three men reached out to brace her wobbly body. Kitty put a hand to her head to stop the spinning. "Now I know what Chester meant by 'swimmy headed'."

Doc checked her eyes again and shook his head in disbelief. "Well, I guess Matt...you can take her home… I'm going to send some powders for the pain…and something to help you sleep. You're going to be mighty sore, young lady."

Doc wandered over to his medicine cabinet to put a few things together. "How are you going to explain this to Calleigh and Cooper?"

"Maybe ya ought to let me 'n' Doc go home first, to kind a let em know what's a comin. Calleigh girl's a liable to shoot cha when she sees this." Festus scrunched up his face as he studied Miss Kitty's cheek and eye. One finger pointed to the coloring on her face. "Oooh. It's a startin to look kinda purply-blue in there."

Matt smacked his friend's hand away and gave him an exasperated look, "Get away!"

Kitty watched the color drain from Matt's face—in direct relation to the black and blue hues burgeoning through hers. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen such a pathetic face. He was the one in real pain here.

"Matt…" Kitty opened her arms, inviting him in. He was careful not to touch the side of her face left battered and bruised. "It wasn't your fault."

She felt him bury his face in the crook of her neck, wanting to hide from this terrible thing he had done. The reason or fault didn't register with him. It was _his_ fist and _her_ face. That's all he knew. Kitty held him close as she spoke to Doc. "Maybe you two should go on ahead and...explain what happened. We'll be along shortly."

 **TBC**


	2. Chapter 2 - Momma's Home

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Momma's Home**

"HE DID WHAT!" Calleigh heard the words. She said the words; but somehow she could not get her mind wrapped around the words. "HE HIT HER!"

Even if they couldn't get her to _calm_ down, both Festus and Doc were at least trying to get her _quiet_ down. "Calleigh, stop yelling! You're going to scare the kids."

She pinched her lips between her teeth. Her tiny nose flared as she sucked in a deep breath, struggling to keep silent.

To ensure that stillness, she felt Newly's gentle grip on her shoulders. "Let Festus explain honey." Unlike his wife, Newly's voice was both quiet and calm.

Festus went on to unravel the tale of Ollie Dobbs and his fateful trip for one beer. "He's in jail. I'm kinda feared what ol' Matthew might do to him. I knowd Ollie's going to be powerful scairt and sorry. We all know jist how plum gentle-like he is—til he gets liquored up."

"Well my sympathies are elsewhere right at the moment!" Calleigh's tone was laced with anger, but at least the yelling had stopped. "So, Poppy, is she hurt? I mean..."

"I know what you mean. No, nothing is broken. It just looks bad and she's going to be pretty sore. Honestly, I don't think she's hurting as badly as Matt is." Doc reached over, laying a hand on Calleigh's arm, "How would _you_ feel if you had accidentally hurt her like this?"

Newly could feel the tension ebb from his wife's slender shoulders. "You need to talk to the kids," Newly suggested. "I doubt that Hadley will have any questions," he ducked his head with a matching grimace, "...but Cooper? If she looks as bad a Doc says, he's going need some explaining."

"Festus, you ride back into town, tell Bethany we'll need her to pack up some food for supper. Kitty won't be able to cook." Calleigh instructed. Then, with a faint sigh, she begrudgingly started to volunteer, "I guess I could cook-"

"No!" It was a melodious cry, as though the men had practiced three-part harmony. Then the room fell into an uneasy silence. Three heads were down, eyes peering up from beneath fearful lids, each man grateful that the woman was presently unarmed.

Calleigh cast each a scathing look. "Like I said! Go tell Bethany what we need."

The spurs on Festus' boots jangled as he scurried away. As insulted as she pretended to be, Calleigh was just as glad not to have to eat her own cooking. Assisting Kitty was one thing; but solo? No... Not a good idea. Shooting and doctoring—those were her specialties. "Well, guess we might as well talk to Cooper."

 **LadyKLadyKLadyKLadyK**

With Newly at her side, Calleigh found the kids playing in the back yard and called to both of them. "Hey guys. We need to talk to you."

Hadley came running full speed into Newly's arms, ready to be thrown up into the air. He was more than willing to oblige, causing the tiny redhead to giggle gleefully, "Again, Newwie!"

Finally he turned toward his wife. "Calleigh, why don't I take her to Poppy so we can talk to Cooper?"

"Coop, why don't you come over here and sit down with me. I need to talk to you." Calleigh took a seat on a thick grassy spot under a favorite shade tree and patted the ground next to her.

The carefree laughter between the boy and his little sister from just a few minutes earlier was now just a vague memory. In its place was a silent, stone-faced little boy. Cooper was getting old enough to recognize not only the words, but the mannerism, when something _bad_ was coming.

Cotton Ball's death had made quite an impression on him. For one thing, it taught him that death was permanent. Cooper had also learned that his daddy's job was dangerous; he could get shot and be gone forever, just like Cotton Ball. Tommy Rachel had told him that too.

The boy walked over to his big sister, his face more solemn than a five-and-a-half-year-old should ever be. Calleigh motioned to him to sit beside her, but Cooper remained standing. "Is it my daddy?"

"Oh, Cooper, no! Your daddy is fine."

She watched the color drain from his cheeks, "Not… Momma?"

"No, baby, momma is okay too." Calleigh sat up on her knees and wrapped her arms around the boy. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. Cooper, no one is dead. It's just that your momma had a little accident." She looked behind her when she heard Newly coming from the house.

"Did you explain it yet?" Calleigh shook her head no. "I think I know how." Newly sat down and pulled Cooper onto his lap. "Cooper, do you remember last year when we were playing cowboys and you accidentally ran into Hadley and knocked her down?"

"Uh-huh. She got a bloody nose."

"Yes she did; and she cried. Do you remember how you felt?"

Cooper was beginning to relax with Newly's prompting, "I felt really bad, 'cause I don't ever want to hurt Hadley."

"Well, something like that happened to your momma today. Your daddy was trying to arrest a man. He didn't want to shoot the man, so he decided to hit him and knock him out. But, when your daddy got ready, the man grabbed your momma and pulled her in front of him."

Cooper's eyes grew wide, "He hit momma?! Daddy...hit momma?!"

"He did; and he feels terrible. You know how much your daddy loves your momma and protects her from everything, so he feels _really_ bad."

"Did she get a bloody nose, like Hadley?"

"Yeah," he looked at Calleigh, wondering how graphic to get. "It was a little more than that. Your daddy is really strong."

"My daddy is the strongest man in Dodge City. Maybe the whole world." Cooper's face reflected complete confidence in his description. He looked over at his sister for confirmation. "Isn't he, Calleigh?"

She wore the same prideful grin as her little brother, "Yes, he certainly is."

Newly winked at his wife and continued on, "We're just trying to prepare you for what your momma looks like. See, because your daddy is so strong, he hits pretty hard and well…your momma is just a girl. We just didn't want you to be afraid."

"Calleigh, they's home." Festus stuck his head out of the back door. He waited for the three of them to come inside. "Did ya explain it to the youngin?"

"Newly did."

"Wahl, Calleigh girl, I'm a thinken you'd best prepare yur self too." He arched one brow, while squinting the other eye. "Yur daddy's got one powerful arm on em."

Calleigh looked down at Cooper as he slid his hand against hers and held tightly. "Don't be scared, Calleigh, I'll hold your hand." She leaned down to give her brave little escort a kiss.

Kitty was standing in the kitchen with her back to the door when they walked in. Although they couldn't see her face, they could see Matt's. Even Cooper could tell his daddy was very upset.

The newest arrivals stood like stair steps: Cooper with his back to Calleigh and her hands on his shoulders and Calleigh with her back to Newly and his hands on her shoulders.

Matt took a long look at his wife as she took his hand—much as Cooper had taken Calleigh's—and slowly turned to face her family.

A multiple series of gasps were released, before total silence prevailed. By this time, the left eye was completely swollen shut. The cheek was puffy and starting to discolor. Her top lip had a small cut where it had split and the bottom lip was swollen and had a black and purplish tint.

Cooper was the first to step forward. Still holding Calleigh's hand, he pulled her with him. They stared at the damage. It didn't look any better up close. As much as they both tried not to, each looked at Matt with contempt. "Does it hurt momma?"

"Not really." She tried to smile, but the movement of her lips caused her to flinch, belying her original answer.

Calleigh reached up, touching with the hands of a physician. "Well, at least he didn't shoot you."

She cast an accusing glance toward Newly and Festus, as both men wondered whether they would ever be able to live that down, even if it had been for her own good.

On that note, everyone looked again to Kitty, unsure what the next move should be. With a small sigh and what she hoped would be taken for a smile, she commanded her family to prepare for supper. So, they did.

 **TBC**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Annoucement

**The Flame Within the Storm**

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Announcement**

Matt quickly jumped from his seat, retrieving the pitcher of tea from the counter and refilling Kitty's glass.

Every eye around the table remained fixed on the plate in front of them. There was some idle talk: Roundup for branding season was starting; Gertie Blanton was expecting her fourth child and both Doc and Calleigh debated on who was going to deliver it. Basically, it was all just nervous chatter to cover their awkwardness, stemming from Matt's ongoing, contrite behavior.

It had been a little over a week since Kitty had gone one round with the Marshal. Matt had always been attentive to her, always protective, but this week... Every time he looked at her, his giant body seemed to shrivel into a mass of jelly.

No matter how much Kitty tried to convince him that it was _not_ his fault, Matt would not give up the guilt that consumed him. He wasn't sure which was the most offensive; the bulging black and blue eye; or the shiny purple cheek, swollen twice its size. The split and swollen lip had been right up there with those two, but it had finally healed. The only other improvement, was that she could eat solid food again.

The rest of the crew was a different matter. Not that they weren't more attentive than usual toward Kitty, but they also tried to lighten the situation. In an effort to commiserate with the battered woman, Calleigh surprised her at supper one night, by using charcoal dust to paint a black eye on everyone. Even Hadley.

Kitty had burst into laughter, along with the rest of her family—everyone except for Matt. He did not appreciate the many barbs about helping Kitty to train for a rematch, or the references to 'keep a stiff upper lip'. All of this so-called humor was lost on him. To the Marshal, it was a horrible travesty and there was nothing even remotely funny about it.

Nothing Kitty desired was denied—until tonight, when she announced her plans to go to Wichita on business.

To that, Matt definitely had objections. "Why do _you_ have to go?" He tried to sound casual, but he failed miserably.

"One of the upscale restaurants in Wichita has gone bankrupt and they are liquidating their furnishings and equipment. Bethany was going to go and take Tia with her, but the McKeever herd will be in town that same week. Plus, she has a wedding and two private parties planned. She didn't think the manager _and_ head waitress should both be gone at the same time."

"Why can't you stay and do Bethany's job?" Matt had abandoned any attempt to sound casual and instead was just striving not to sound controlling.

Up until his last comment, Kitty's concentration had been more devoted to fighting with Hadley, trying to keep more green beans in her mouth than on the tray. However, whether it had been the words, or the tone that delivered them, Matt now had one hundred percent of his wife's attention. She slowly put down the spoon and turned to face him.

"Because... Bethany made the arrangements for all of these events and she needs to be the one supervising them. Matt, I don't know if you realize how much effort Bethany puts into her job. She is a Godsend to us!"

Matt could feel himself slipping into a giant black hole. "I know; I didn't mean to imply otherwise." He looked around the table, desperate for a bit of support, but found none. With a sigh of resolution, he knew what he had to do. "Well, it's not a problem; I'll just go with you."

"Oh, but you _can't_." Kitty's voice held a tone of sarcasm. She returned to the green bean challenge. "Remember, Judge Danbe will be here that week, to see to Ollie? _Surely_ you recall that you made _special_ arrangements with the Judge to stop here in Dodge, JUST for Ollie?"

Matt rolled his eyes and let his head drop in defeat. He had raised such a stink about holding Ollie Dobbs over for a hearing, against everyone's objections. Even Kitty had tried to get Matt to give the poor man a couple of days in jail and let it go. Ollie wasn't a violent man, just a drunken guy that made a bad decision.

Yet, every time Matt looked at Kitty's bruised face, he became enraged all over again. By sticking to his guns _then_ , he was forced to stay in town _now_.

Well that's a decision that has come back to bite me in the butt, he berated himself silently.

He took a deep, fortifying breath, before voicing his final objections, "Well, then you're not going. We are NOT going to risk your safety again!"

The tension exploded in the room **,** Eyes were quickly averted, as even Calleigh couldn't defer this one.

Again, Kitty's head snapped around, giving Matthew Dillon her fully undivided attention. "And I will **NOT** spend the rest of my life in fear. Did you stop using your gun after your first gunfight; your first bullet wound?"

"That is _not_ the same thing at all!" This was the first time in a week that Matt had disagreed with anything Kitty said or did; but now he was not only disagreeing, but doing so at the top of his lungs.

Kitty stood, tossing her napkin angrily onto her plate. "Outside!" was all that needed saying, as she turned and charged out the back door with the big man hot on her heels. Moving the battle outside mattered little, because all ears around the Dillon supper table were still tuned into the zealous voices.

He demanded... She countered... He yelled... She yelled back... He yelled louder... She was suddenly quieter.

Those around the table began to exchange glances. From long experience, they all knew that the unexpected softer voice was not a sign of defeat.

Before long, the couple reappeared in the back door. The longtime Marshal of Dodge City, sullenly followed behind the Queen of the LadyK Ranch. All eyes went back to the table, each pretending to be engrossed in the meal in front of them.

In a quiet, albeit powerfully deep tone, Matt confirmed the previous announcement, "Kitty will be going to Wichita."

No one looked up, no one uttered a sound.

 **LadyKLadyKLadyKLadyK**

They had worked in silence the entire time it took to clean up. Calleigh dried the last dish and put it back inside the cupboard. She then folded the towel and laid it across the counter. "You feeling alright?"

Kitty flashed a confused look, as Calleigh motioned to the remaining bruises on her face. "I mean those. No pain? I could give you something if there is."

"No, it's sore; but it doesn't bother me so much now. I'm hoping the bruising will be mostly gone by the time I go." Kitty noticed the absence of any affirmation from the young doctor. "Won't it be mostly healed in another week?"

"Huh?" Calleigh seemed to be somewhere else. "I mean, yeah. It should be faint enough to cover with some makeup." Calleigh leaned back against the sink and smoothed the cotton apron still wrapped around her dress. "Are you sure you should be doing this?" Unlike her usual bluster, Calleigh was hesitant to ask.

Kitty turned, surprised by the girl's question. "Not you too?"

Calleigh kept her head down, seemingly fascinated by the toe of her shoe, as it teased a loose green bean that had escaped from the bowl. Even her tone was uncharacteristically timid, "I don't know; I mean, maybe."

"Calleigh!" Kitty reached down and rescued the tortured vegetable, leaving the girl no option but to look up. "Since when did you give in to fear?" She drew back in mock surprise "And when did you **_ever_** take his side over mine?"

"Oh, Kitty, I'm not taking sides." Calleigh placed her hands level with her waist, resting her palms on the counter behind her. "Maybe I'm just gun-shy after the Boston thing." Again, her eyes fell downward to avoid Kitty.

"Can I let you in on a little secret? So am I." Kitty watched the surprise appear on the young girl's face "That's one of the reasons I need to go. We can't let people like Mavis Penshaw, rob us of our peace-of-mind. How many times have you and I sat in Doc's office, watching him dig bullets out of your dad? Still, he kept going back. I know he doesn't see it the same when it's one of us."

"I know you're right." Calleigh assumed a sheepish smile, "I just worry about you."

Kitty laughed and pulled the girl in for a hug. "Words to warm a mother's heart."

"You know, I could go with you."

"Bodyguard? I don't think so, but thanks for the offer. I'll be fine. Where did Newly get off to?"

"All three of our brave male counterparts got scared and skedaddled out of here. Doc went back to town, Festus is sleeping in the bunkhouse and Newly," she paused and glanced out the window, "He's either trying to console Matt, or...getting tips on how to knock me out."

The sound of women's laughter resonated throughout the room and even managed to drift out to where the men were standing, causing Newly to smile.

"What are you gonna do? Can't shoot 'em; definitely can't out talk 'em!"

 **TBC**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Trip Wichita

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 4**

 **The Trip To Wichita**

It was two p.m. The train arrived right on time and Kitty and Tia were ready to get off. Traveling by train was a one hundred percent improvement over a stagecoach, but it was still tiring. Even though they were looking forward to seeing some of the finer restaurants, they lacked the enthusiasm of their five-year-old traveling companion.

Cooper was amazed by everything. When they departed the train, a young boy solicited them to carry their bags. While the ladies found this helpful, the Dillon boy found such a career choice exciting. Even though the young baggage carrier was probably not more than twelve, to Cooper he seemed to be a worldly entrepreneur. "We're staying at the Occidental Hotel on Main Street." Kitty waited for the boy to acknowledge her instructions, before leading her small contingent to the hotel.

Once they arrived, Kitty paid the young man for delivering the bags and then went to the front desk to check in. She gave her name and was signing the register, when the manager noticed her signature.

The bespectacled man peered over the top of his horn-rimmed glasses to double-check the name. Kitty noted the top of the man's head was smooth and shiny, but the sides and back had a thick mass of gray hair. That seemed to be very common, although she always wondered how the hair around the sides managed to hang on, when the top couldn't.

He smiled at her, a kindly smile that comes with age. "Mrs. Dillon? Mrs. Matt Dillon?"

"Yes." Kitty was hoping there had not been a mix up in their reservation.

"I have a telegram for you, ma'am." He retrieved the message from a cubicle along the back wall.

"Thank you…" She glanced over at the name sewn onto his vest, "Horace." Although she wasn't sure of the contents, she knew who the sender was.

"Who's it from, momma?"

"I think it's probably from your daddy." Kitty smiled down at the boy as she opened the paper. "Yes, it is. Let's see; he says Calleigh needs her blue sweater. Do I know where it is?"

"Do you know?" Cooper looked up at her with the most innocent blue eyes. She did hope that when he grew up, he would be more imaginative than his daddy.

"Yes. It's in the closet. We'll send him a telegram when we get back tonight."

A frown worked its way across her son's face as he thought about her answer. "But, won't he need it now?"

"I think what daddy needs is to know that we are both safely in our room at the end of the day. We'll wait and send it then." She thanked Horace for his help and asked him to have someone bring up their bags. They made their way to the third floor and settled into the room. Cooper was so excited to look out the window because he had never been this high up before. "Wow, everything looks smaller."

"What do you say we go down to the restaurant and get a bite to eat?" Both of her traveling companions were agreeable to Kitty's suggestion. As soon as their bags were delivered, they headed downstairs to the main dining room.

The waiter seated them and handed the two women menus. "What do you think, Miss Kitty?" Tia seemed more interested in the décor, than the food. "I expected it to be classier. We're fancier than this."

"I think you're right." It pleased Kitty that the young girl was so proud of the Prairie Rose. What do you think, Cooper? Are we fancier than this?"

Cooper sat up in his chair, stretching his neck to see all that was going on around him. "I don't know, but Tia and Bethany are prettier. They don't smile much like you do, Tia."

"They don't, do they?" The pretty blonde laughed and ruffled the boy's curls. "Maybe they don't work for as nice people as I do." He didn't really understand everything she meant, but he knew it was something nice. "I really do thank you for bringing me along on this trip, Miss Kitty."

Bethany had been impressed with Tia, right from the start. Barely twenty years old, she had come west with an aunt and uncle, who were heading to California. When they stopped in Dodge for a brief layover, she'd met Bethany and was offered a job. She'd decided to stay and give it a try. The customers loved her and she was devoted to them. Memorizing names, favorite dishes and preferred tables, made Tia the most requested waitress on the elite side of the Prairie Rose. The fact that she was a tall, willowy blonde made her the most requested on the other side. Unlike the other girls, she had shown a real interest in the restaurant and Bethany had been grooming her to move up in the business.

"Your excitement and enthusiasm, it's just what the Prairie Rose needs." Kitty wasn't one to offer useless flattery and Tia knew this, so she gratefully accepted the compliment. "Bethany can't stop talking about you. I think she's going to be promoting you very soon."

"Really, are you sure?" Tia had such an innocent air about her excitement, that it reminded Kitty of one of her little ones. "I'll work really hard. I prom-"

Kitty laid a calming hand on the girl's arm, "Tia, I never doubted that you would. That's exactly why she's promoting you. Bethany told me how hard you worked this past week, to get everything ready before you left. But let's keep it a secret that I let the cat out of the bag, okay? I should have waited and let her tell you. Speaking of Bethany, did I hear you were going to be her maid of honor?"

Before Tia could answer, the waitress came back to take their orders. "Cooper, I think they have something you will really like." Tia pointed to the Macaroni Pie* and ordered it for both herself and the boy, then responded to Kitty's questioning glance, "I saw the recipe in Godey's Lady's Book."

With a smile and a shrug, Kitty deferred to the younger woman's decision "Make it three; and two iced teas and a glass of milk." She finished the order and handed the menus back.

As the girl walked away, Tia returned to Kitty's question with a satisfied smile. "Yes, we talked to Sarah Carr and she's going to make my dress. Bethany has already picked out the pattern and material. Then next week, she's going back to Boston, to look for a wedding dress with her mom."

The waitress interrupted them long enough to serve the meal. Both the women approved of the dish and Cooper's vote was the final decision to introduce it onto the menu at the Prairie Rose.

They finished the meal and walked around for a little while to get a feel for the town. The long train ride had pretty much worn everyone out, so after the walk, they decided to call it an early evening. When they arrived back at the hotel, Kitty sent a telegram to Matt telling him to, "look in the closet."

The second day in Wichita was much busier than the first. The auction at McGuffon's Restaurant started at ten and lasted until late afternoon. It was a long day for a little boy, but Kitty promised that if Cooper would be patient, the next day would be entirely his. While this bargain would never have worked on either of the Dillon girls, it was a breeze for Cooper, with his more agreeable temperament. He followed his mother and Tia throughout the restaurant, looking at big stoves and fancy dishes.

Although he didn't understand Tia's excitement, it was fun to watch. Especially when the younger woman saw the big light that hung from the ceiling. They called it a 'shandler' and it had a whole bunch of giant raindrops of glass hanging from it. Cooper didn't understand why it was so special, but Tia squealed and hugged his momma when given final permission to buy it. He was impressed with the giant stove they bought. Cooper figured it must be the biggest stove in the whole world. They purchased a few other pieces, but they were just mechanical things that held no interest for him at all.

It was a long day, but finally, the auction was over, just in time for supper. All day, Cooper's mouth had watered, just thinking of having the same cheesy dish that Tia had ordered for them all the day before. His heart was broken to discover that the restaurant they chose to visit after the sale, didn't offer the Macaroni Pie.

Kitty made another deal with her disappointed son: if he would settle for a bowl of beef stew and rolls, they would go back to the hotel restaurant tomorrow for his new favorite food. She also promised a more immediate treat—a trip to the bakery on their way back to the hotel.

 **CTKCTKCTKCTKCTKCTK**

Cooper carried his little yellow box, tied with a piece of string, as though it were filled with gold. In reality, it held two cookies and a chocolate cupcake. The small group had started up the stairs to their room when Horace called to his momma.

"Mrs. Dillon," the old man wore his friendly smile again and waved a piece of paper in the air. "I have a telegram for you." Kitty stepped over to the counter, taking the folded sheet of yellow paper from the kindly man. As Kitty perused the note, Horace leaned over the counter to talk to Cooper. "I see you've been to Maria's Sweets. What kind of treats did you get?"

"Cookies and a cupcake." The curly-headed boy grinned at the nice man and then turned to Kitty. "What does it say momma?"

"Daddy can't find Bootsie."

Cooper looked up at the semi-bald man. "That's my sister's bear and she won't go to sleep without him." Horace made a face, as though he thoroughly understood the importance. The little boy shook his head as a show of compassion. "Poor daddy."

Kitty took a pen from the counter and scribbled out a return message. ' _Look under the bed?_ ' It wasn't exactly a family secret; Hadley would kick Bootsie out of bed during the night, where he would roll underneath. She handed the paper back to Horace. "Could you send this for me?"

"Yes ma'am. If he responds I'll bring it up to your room."

As she turned toward the stairs, she looked back over her shoulder. "Thank you, but he won't be heard from again until tomorrow." Cooper bounced up the stairs ahead of them, eagerly looking forward to that cupcake. Kitty unlocked the door and stood back to let him in. The first thing she did was sit down on the side of the bed and take off her shoes. "I knew better than to wear a new pair of shoes. But they were _so_ pretty."

Tia laughed, knowing exactly what the other woman meant. "They are pretty. I'm on my feet too much for anything that fancy. Standing all day at that auction was tiring! Maybe we can sit down a little more tomorrow." She noticed Kitty was checking her reflection in the mirror to see how visible the remaining bruises seemed. "I heard what happened."

Kitty turned from the mirror with an apathetic shrug, "I'm sure the whole town has heard all about it by now."

"I also heard how heartbroken the Marshal was." Tia looked as if she wanted to say something, but was hesitant to approach it. "It's no secret how he's just head over heels for you."

"Well, he's...we've been...I know he loves me." Kitty had been caught off guard by Tia's youthful, romantic description.

Tia giggled, reminding Kitty just how young the girl truly was, "Why, Miss Kitty, I think you are blushing! I didn't mean to embarrass you." Tia plopped down on the other side of the bed. "I know he sends those telegrams every day, just as a way to make sure you're okay. That is soooo sweet! He looks all big and tough, but he's really just ...all cuddly, sweet."

Kitty tried to picture Matt's reaction if he could have heard this young girl go on about him being 'cuddly, sweet'. As she considered the girl's words, she felt a twinge of guilt over the way she'd dismissed his telegrams, as simply a humorous distraction. As frustrating as he was at times, no woman ever felt as safe and secure as she did. In all the years and all the trials they had been through, she always knew that somehow, someway, Matt Dillon would rescue her.

Kitty was struck with a sudden longing, to hold, to touch, to kiss this man; this sender of secretly sweet telegrams. The sensation was so strong, Tia could see the aching in her boss' eyes. "Miss Kitty, are you alright?"

Kitty forced a smile, but her words betrayed her heart. "I'm very fortunate to have such a devoted husband. I trust him with my life and more importantly, my heart." She turned away for a moment, as though to compose her thoughts. When she turned back, her smile was genuine and she offered her own observations. "Speaking of devoted, I understand a certain Wiley Norris is pretty devoted to the head waitress at the Prairie Rose."

Now it was Tia's turn to blush. Her eyes opened wide, surprised that this woman would have any interest in her love life. "How did you know that?"

"Wiley works for me and so do you. I'm interested in anyone that is a part of my life. I guess he's pretty crazy about you. Festus says that he drives everyone nuts talking about you to anyone who'll listen."

"Really?" Tia knew that Wiley loved her, but she didn't know he was telling everyone else. "He's pretty sweet too."

"Are you guys going to talk about yucky stuff all night?" Cooper had been patiently waiting for the girl talk to end, but it didn't seem to be slowing down at all. "Didn't you pack the checker game for us to play?"

"Checkers! I love checkers." Tia exaggerated her excitement for Cooper sake. "Can I play too?"

Kitty pulled the box from her carpetbag and handed it to the boy. He unfolded the board and began to set up the checkers. "Okay, but I'm pretty good. My Poppy and Newly have been teaching me."

The three of them played several games and surprisingly enough Cooper managed to win them all. He couldn't wait to get home to tell Poppy. To make his momma and Tia feel better, he shared his Maria's Sweets with them.

 **OccidentalHotelOccidentalHotelOccidentalHotel**

Before setting off the next day, Kitty stopped at the counter. "Horace, I need to send a wire."

"Here you go, ma'am." He handed her the form and waited while she wrote out a message. "Miss you. Will send wire when we return to the hotel."

Horace read the message and smiled. "He sounds like a very nice man to worry about his family so much."

"He is Horace, he really is." Kitty left him with a smile, as she returned to her fellow travelers.

Kitty was true to her word; this last day was devoted to Cooper. They went on a tour of City Hall before they stopped at The Chowder House for lunch. Once again, the Macaroni Pie wasn't on the menu. She had promised her son the pie and was certain that the hotel restaurant carried it, so they decided to wait and eat at the Occidental.

Rather than just leave, Kitty and Tia ordered a glass of tea to be polite. Cooper wasn't thirsty, but he was eager to get on their way to visit the new library. Momma said that there were hundreds and hundreds of books, something he just couldn't imagine; but Cooper also couldn't wait to tell Poppy all about it, once they returned home.

They arrived back at the hotel around six, tired and hungry. Kitty sent them on ahead to the restaurant, while she checked in with Horace. "I need to send another telegram."

He had seen her come into the lobby and had the form ready. Kitty hurriedly wrote out the message. "In safely for the night. Love." Horace took the message and wished her a pleasant evening.

 **TBC**

* **_Macaroni Pie_** \- was the precursor to macaroni and cheese (of French origin). This dish was alleged to have been a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and by extension, his slaves, according to the Culinary History of Monticello.


	5. Chapter 5 -Returning From Wichita

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Returning From Wichita**

 _"_ _A man's strength doesn't make him a man. It's his heart" Kitty Russell_

 _Season 14 : Episode 19_

Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch for the third time in an hour. He stared at the round, silver timepiece, running the pad of his thumb over the intricately engraved horses on the dust cover. Despite his agitation at the late hour, a smile forced its way out when he read the inscription on the inside:

"One Heart, One Soul"

Kitten

He remembered when she gave it to him. It was too fancy. It was too expensive. It was the most cherished gift he had ever received.

Matt snapped the cover shut. The memory—as beautiful as it was—was not enough to appease him completely. Releasing still another heavy sigh, he walked across the platform...again.

The stage from Garden City was only thirty minutes late, not enough to send out a posse, but enough to worry the lawman. Kitty didn't have the best of luck when it came to stagecoaches; how many times had he and Festus searched the countryside after a wreck, a robbery, or a kidnapping?

Granted, he was irritated, but he didn't have that gut feeling that something was really wrong. This was supposed to have been a round trip on the train, but the train broke down in Garden City. Maybe it wasn't the stage at all, maybe Kitty and traveling was the unlucky combination.

Rather than wait, both women had decided to go ahead and take the stage the rest of the way. Matt glanced at his watch one more time. No; he would wait at least another thirty minutes before he would start sending telegrams.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Kitty stretched back, as much as possible, in the thinly padded seats of the stagecoach. Her head was throbbing again for the second day in a row. She glanced at her traveling companions; Cooper and Tia, both now sleeping peacefully. Tia had leaned back into the corner of the bench seat, resting her head on her reticule. Cooper lay with his head in Kitty's lap.

Even though she stood her ground with Matt about going, Kitty had made one concession. That concession was Cooper. The trip to Boston had been very stressful to the little boy left at home. For several weeks after her return, he wouldn't let his momma out of his sight. Little by little, Kitty was able to wean herself away and restore her son's confidence that his family was safe. Even though he had never learned the brutal cause of Cotton Ball's death, the death itself was one more step in leaving his childhood behind.

Kitty decided to take the boy on a little vacation in order to show him that traveling was not always dangerous. This was Cooper's first time on the train and a stagecoach, first time in a hotel, and first time in Wichita.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

The driver was unable to miss the rained out rut in the middle of the road that caused the coach to jerk suddenly to one side, bouncing its passengers inside. Kitty was quick to throw a protective hand over Cooper and reach over with the other to keep Tia from falling out of her seat. Both sat up, both groggy, as they looked out at the passing scenery.

"Are we almost home?" Cooper rubbed the sleep from his eyes, as he slid to the other side of the seat to get a better look outside.

"I think we are." Kitty looked at her locket watch. "We're running about a half-an-hour late, but we should be there in another thirty minutes."

"Will Daddy be waiting for us?"

Kitty smiled. Oh, to be so innocent, she thought. "Yes, I'm sure daddy will be there to meet us." _Chomping at the bit because the stage is an hour late._ She wondered if Matt had sent a wire to Spearville yet.

Tia moaned softly, stirring Kitty from her reverie. "Are you alright?"

The young girl rubbed her temple, her usual effervescence missing from her voice. "This headache. I thought a nap would help, but it's still there."

Kitty had noticed that Tia looked rather pale when they were boarding the stage. The girl was usually so vibrant. Kitty could certainly empathize with the headache, since she had been fighting one as well.

"Calleigh will probably meet us at the station. Why don't you have her take a look at you?"

Tia mustered up a smile, but it faded as quickly as it came, "No, I'll be all right, I just need to get some rest. Too much excitement." She began to straighten her suit, "I hope it's not much farther."

"The scenery is starting to look familiar; I think we should be there in just a few minutes."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

"Still not here, huh?"

Matt turned around at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Not yet."

"Telegrammed Spearville yet?"

"No." He was chagrined by the fact that he couldn't deny it was going to be his next move. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to have supper ready as a surprise.

"I am. It's in there." Calleigh nodded toward her buggy and arched her brows wickedly. "The best the Prairie Rose had to offer." She knew he really didn't care; the only thing on his mind right now was a certain redhead who had been gone way too long. Of course, by his standards, anytime she was gone it was too long.

Calleigh knew she should be sympathetic, but he was just so easy to mess with. All rough and tough lawman, brought down by a little red haired woman. She put a consoling hand to his shoulder, "Buck up, little guy. She'll be home soon."

With a gasp, Calleigh's eyes opened wide and she pulled back, "Oh, my gosh. You don't think she met some handsome stranger and ran off...do you?" She feigned a horror-struck expression, with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead, "And little Cooper will be raised by some rich, handsome man. What _ever_ will we do?" She proceeded to bat her eyes in an exaggerated gesture.

Matt pursed his lips and delivered a condescending glare through narrowed eyes. "You weren't spanked enough as a child." He turned, towering over her, "But it's not too late to rectify that."

Calleigh swallowed hard, realizing that he just might carry through on that threat. The sound of the approaching stage may have saved her. "Look, it's here."

In that instant, Matt forgot all about his spoiled child and with a grin that wrapped across his face, prepared for the homecoming. The lumbering contraption finally came to a stop and Clem climbed down to open the doors. Cooper virtually bounced out, jumping into his daddy's big, strong arms. The boy's small arms wrapped so tightly around his neck, that Matt had to pull back slightly just to get a breath.

"Daddy, it was so great! Momma took me to see a great big building. It was a City Hall. We saw a library and it had a whole bunch of books—more than even _Poppy_ could probably read! And we went to restaurants and slept in a hotel. We had _so much_ fun, didn't we momma?

Kitty watched her son, so excited in his accounting of the trip. While his daddy listened with the same enthusiasm as the boy spoke, the big man's eyes quietly met with his wife's. There was a silent bond that connected them. Each felt the contentment of life being whole again, once they were in each other's sight.

Calleigh saw the look. Now it was time for her to do what she'd actually driven into town for. "Coop, I can't wait to hear every detail. Why don't you ride home with me, because your daddy has to go by the office? Everybody is waiting at home for you."

"Can I momma? Can I go with Calleigh?"

Kitty offered a smile to Calleigh that held so much love and gratitude. "You can." However, Kitty gently pulled Calleigh back before she could leave the platform. "Tia isn't feeling well. She's had a terrible headache. Could you take a quick look at her?"

"Oh, sure" Calleigh turned, just as the young woman was climbing out of the coach. "I have some pills in my bag. Let me get something for that headache."

Tia uttered a grateful, relieved sigh. "Thank you so much. I have been fighting this all day."

"Cooper, will you go and get my bag out of the buggy, please?" The boy nodded and scampered away. Calleigh touched the girl's forehead. "You're a little warm. When did this start?"

"Yesterday, early I guess." Tia looked over at Kitty, "Wasn't it yesterday morning when we were laughing about both of us having a headache?" She looked back to Calleigh. "Cooper said we were using our brains too much and getting all 'fretty'. Apparently, Uncle Festus says you can do that."

That comment brought laughter from all three women and a confused look from Cooper, as he handed her the bag. "He did tell me that."

"I'm sure he did." Calleigh opened her bag and pulled out a small bottle of pills, which she handed to Tia. "Take a couple of these when you get to your room, then two more before you go to bed. I'll check on you tomorrow. Will you be at work?"

"No," Kitty stepped closer to the girls. "You go ahead and take tomorrow off. A day of rest might be just what you need right now."

"Miss Kitty, I can't-"

"Oh, don't even _try_ to argue with her." Calleigh waved her hand as if to brush away Tia's objections. "I'll swing by tomorrow and see you." The grateful girl gave Kitty a hug, thanked Cooper again for being such a gentleman, then headed home.

Calleigh took Cooper by the shoulder and started for the buggy. Matt leaned down as she walked by, "You saved yourself a spanking. Thanks, Sweet Pea."

As they watched their children climb into Calleigh's buggy, the reunited couple just seemed to gravitate together. His arm slipped comfortably around her waist as they watched the buggy pull away. Matt used that same arm to guide Kitty across the street and into his office.

No sooner had he kicked the door shut with his boot, than Matt pulled Kitty into his arms. His lips were so gentle, yet so demanding and Kitty was just as eager to respond. When they finally came up for air, he buried his face in the soft, loose curls.

"I have missed you so much." He pulled back, to be able to look into her face and instantly Kitty saw a change in his eyes as he asked, "Are you all right?"

"What?"

Now he held her at arm's length, taking a really good look. "You're warm. I thought it was just from the long ride, but your eyes…something is off."

Kitty flashed back to that day in Doc's office, after the stagecoach abduction. "Well I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're asking!"

She'd caught him off guard and he chuckled in defense. "I didn't mean that. I meant… You feel like you have a fever. Are you sick?"

"Just a headache. We did a lot of running around in Wichita and I just spent a day in that bouncing wooden box they call a stagecoach. A good night's sleep and I'll be right as rain." Kitty smiled, despite the fact that she didn't feel her best.

"Hmm; the family is waiting to see you. We need to get home." Matt slipped that arm around her again, as they walked back to get the bags.

After helping Kitty, Matt climbed into the buggy beside her. The bay took off at a steady pace, as Matt wrapped his arm around his sweetheart, pulling her close. "A good night's sleep is **not** what I had in mind. And as far as not being pregnant..." he leaned down, kissing her again, "We _could_ remedy that."

Kitty gave Matt a gentle punch and snuggled in closer. The truth was, 'sleep' would usually be the last thing on her mind after returning from a long trip, but she was starting to feel so bad that she really _did_ just want a good night's rest. Still, she didn't want to say anything, because he worried about her so much as it was

 **LadykLadyKLadyKLadyKLadyK**

Cooper completely dominated the supper conversation. He covered everything: from the stagecoach ride, to the restaurants, the hotel, the library and its 'millions' of books, as well as the sale that Tia and momma went to for the Prairie Rose. Matt wasn't the only one giving Kitty a close watch. Calleigh had also noticed the flushed complexion and dull glaze in her eyes.

When supper was finally over, Festus and Newly took the kids outside to play, while Kitty and Calleigh began to clear the table. "What's going on with you?"

Kitty finished clearing the plates and turned to Calleigh. "Nothing." She offered a weak smile. "It's just been a long week and I'm tired."

"Why didn't you eat your supper?"

"I did."

"No. You were shoving those vegetables around your plate, like a game of tag between the potatoes and the green beans. Is your stomach upset too?"

Kitty heaved a weary sigh and rolled her eyes, "Really, it's nothing."

"Oh, so, you're the doctor now?"

Matt had decided to give a hand with the clean-up and stepped into the kitchen in time to hear Calleigh's remark. "Did Doc teach you to say that? Because I swear that's his favorite line." Matt gathered up the remaining dishes and stacked them next to the sink. "Why don't you go ahead and go to bed, Kitty? I'll help Calleigh with this, then tuck the kids in."

For a moment, Kitty wondered if she were sicker than she thought. Matt Dillon; kitchen help?

He laughed softly, since her thoughts were clearly written on her face. Matt threw the towel down on the counter and took his wife by the arms. "If ya tell anybody, I'll have to kill ya." He pulled her close and glanced across the room to the other redhead. "That especially goes for you!"

Calleigh made a gesture of locking her mouth and throwing away the key, even though they all knew she would be telling anyone who would listen.

Although it was out of character, Kitty accepted their offer and headed upstairs. Calleigh stepped aside, as her mother came nearer, "I'll be up before I leave. I have some pills for that headache."

"I never said I had-" Kitty stopped and looked at the pair. "No secrets with you two," she mumbled, as she gratefully wandered off to bed.

 **LadykLadyKLadyKLadyKLadyK**

Calleigh rapped softly on the bedroom door, just in case Kitty was asleep. The lamp was drawn so low, that darkness swallowed up most the light. She received a faint response. "I wanted to give you these pills for your headache."

Kitty rolled over and sat up in bed, "Good, I'm beginning to think this is never going away." The exhausted redhead blew out a weary breath and rubbed at her temples again.

"How long have you had it?" Calleigh poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the bedside table and dropped two tablets into Kitty's hand, then held out the glass.

"It started to really throb on the ride home." Kitty took the liquid and gulped it down, as if hoping to speed up the healing process.

Contrary to tradition, the _daughter_ laid hand to the _mother's_ forehead. "You're warm." Calleigh slipped into her professional role, leaving humor aside. "Any other symptoms?"

Kitty pulled back, her movement weary, "Symptoms of what? I'm just tired."

"Yeah, I guess." Calleigh rose from the bed. When she leaned down to kiss her mother's forehead, Kitty knew that the young doctor was confirming the fever. Kitty had done the same thing, to all three of her children, many times over the years.

"I'll be back tomorrow. I know this is your first night back, but you need to get some **_sleep_**." Even though Calleigh tried to use her normal sardonic humor, Kitty clearly heard the subtle hint of concern—along with sound advice that mirrored her own earlier thoughts.

 **TBC**


	6. Chapter 6 - Trip to Hays

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Trip To Hays**

Matt moved about the bedroom as quietly as possible, trying not to awaken Kitty. She had tossed and turned all night and he doubted that she'd actually gotten any rest at all.

Doc had arrived home late the night before, after delivering a baby boy to the Wickersons. At that time, Calleigh filled him in on Kitty's condition. She and Newly had planned to take the kids home to the Double O, but Doc said that he would watch them. He didn't have any pressing appointments, so he would be around all day, allowing Kitty to get a good, long rest.

Kitty was curled into a ball with the blanket pulled up, covering most of her face. Matt knelt down on one knee beside the bed, carefully pulling the blanket down to reveal the sleeping woman. Despite the massive size of his hands, his large fingers gingerly brushed the hair from face. Her skin was warm to the touch and he took note of the unnatural pink flush of her cheeks. She made the tiniest whimpering sound, then nestled back down into the blanket. Matt left his kiss buried in the crown of red curls.

Matt noticed the absence of that rich coffee smell as he walked down the stairs and back toward the kitchen. He did notice the smell of Doc's version of coffee. "You made coffee?"

"I tried. I sure hope Kitty isn't sick for long."

Matt took a sip causing his face to pucker and eyes to water. "Me too." He choked down the swallow, then abandoned the still full cup. Again, he cleared his throat before he could speak. "Doc, Kitty's running a fever. Maybe I should stick around home today. Thad can watch things."

"No," Doc swiped at his mustache in his usual irritable gesture. "You're worse than an old mother hen. She's just exhausted. Why don't you go on in to the office, do a little work for a change?" He noticed Matt's lack of movement and prompted him again. "I will send for you if she needs you."

"I know; I just hate to leave her when she's sick and...she just got back."

Doc sighed wearily, "I'll take very good care of her. She will probably sleep most of the day anyway. Go!"

Matt adjusted his hat and headed for the back door. "Okay, I'm going to work. Send someone after me if she-"

"Just go! I think I can handle one sick girl."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Matt could smell coffee before he stepped into the office and it smelled delectable. The Marshal greeted Thad with a smile of surprise and gratitude. "That smells great." Without invitation, he poured a cup and soon learned it tasted just as wonderful. "When did you learn to make coffee?"

Thad shrugged, with a sheepish, lopsided grin, "Bethany comes by on her way to work and makes it for me."

"You'd better hurry up and marry that girl!"

"I plan on it, Marshal." The sheepish look was replaced with a more confident expression, as the young man's focus turned to official business, "We received a telegram you're not gonna like." Thad handed over the paper.

Matt read the telegram and dropped his head with a weary moan. "Damn." He read it again, just to make sure.

Judge Brooker was requesting his and Newly's presence at a special hearing on Granville McCready. The hearing was originally scheduled for next month, but there was a dispute over some testimony they had previously given. "Well this is going to make the girls _real_ happy." Matt threw the telegram onto the desk "Kitty just got back yesterday and she's sick."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She says she just worn out from the trip, but…" the worried husband produced a doubtful shrug, "I don't know, but I really don't want to leave her. I guess Calleigh will have plenty of time to take care of her, since Newly will be with me."

"I wish I could go in your place."

"I wish you could too," Matt chuckled, as he turned toward the door. "If you've got things handled here, I'm going to find Newly and get going. The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back."

"Don't worry about things here, Marshal, I got it covered."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Matt stopped by Newly's shop to tell him about the special hearing. Just as he suspected, the younger man was not happy either. They agreed to break the bad news, grab their trail gear and meet up at the jail in an hour. Newly hung his 'CLOSED' sign on the door and they both headed for their respective homes.

Cooper was playing on the front porch when Matt got home. The boy wasted no time in running to his daddy, who—as usual—scooped him up. Matt noticed the wooden whistle the boy had clutched in his hand. "Where did you get this?"

"Uncle Festus made it for me."

"Hmm, I'll be darned. He's a pretty talented guy. He never makes fun things like that for me."

"I'll let you play with mine."

"Thank you son; that's really thoughtful of you." The loving dad followed up the compliment with a hug. "Where's Hadley?"

"She's in the house, with Poppy and momma."

"Your momma's up?" Matt perked up, hoping that Kitty was feeling better.

"Yeah, but she don't look like momma. She looks cranky, like Hadley does when she doesn't get a nap."

Matt laughed, gave the boy a kiss and put him back down. "You go play, while I go and talk to cranky mom."

The boy went off and Matt followed the sound of voices, back to the kitchen. He stepped into the room and was mildly surprised at his wife's unsettled appearance: She was still in a robe, her hair was slightly messy and she was beyond pale.

"Kitty, sweetie, are you all right?"

She ran a weary hand through her hair and offered up a weak smile. Before she could speak, Doc volunteered his opinion. "I told her to stay in bed, Matt. I can get lunch for these kids. She needs rest. However, as usual, Dillons are always my very worst patients!"

Matt walked over to his wife, gently taking her in his arms. "Honey, you need to go back to bed."

"Not quite so beautiful this morning, huh?" Her eyes and voice were the epitome of weariness.

He pulled her closer. She looked so fragile, he was afraid to hold on too tightly. "You are always beautiful, but you're also sick, honey. You need to listen to Doc. Please."

Kitty snuggled closer, whispering to him in a seductive tone, "Why don't you come up and tuck me in? Make me feel better?"

Doc swiped at his mustache with a cynical remark "Well, obviously she's delirious."

Matt decided he might as well give them both his bad news. "I'm here to pack. Newly and I have been summoned to Hays." Kitty looked like she was going to cry, so Matt hurried to finish, "We'll get up there and back just as quickly as we can, sweetheart. Please listen to Doc and get plenty of rest." He leaned down to whisper, "You need to get well, 'cause I'll be 'tucking you in' when I get back."

Her laugh was weak, as she reluctantly released him to get his packing done.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

"Daddy?" Matt turned to see his son standing in the bedroom doorway. "Are you leaving?"

Matt finished packing his gear, then dropped down to one knee. Cooper's eyes were still on the bedroll, as he walked over to his dad. "I have to leave for a few days, son, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Are you going by yourself?"

Matt sat Cooper up on his bended knee. "No, Newly is going with me."

The boy wrapped an arm around Matt's neck to keep his balance. "Can I go too? I'm not a baby anymore, daddy. I went all the way to Wichita."

Matt tried to stifle his grin in deference to Cooper's serious tone, "I know you did; I also know you're not a baby. The truth is, I need for you to stay here and take care of the womenfolk, son. Can you do that for me?"

Cooper sighed as he stood up. "I will, Daddy; but...Hadley doesn't listen very well."

Again, Matt struggled not to smile. "No, Cooper, you're definitely right about that. She's pretty headstrong, but I think you can handle her."

Cooper reached inside Matt's vest and slid the toy whistle into the pocket, "You take this, so you and Newly can play with it."

Matt stood up and lifted his boy up to his chest. "Thank you, son. I know he'll like that."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

"Calleigh, are you home?"

"Upstairs." She walked out to the top of the staircase, "I thought you were at the shop today?"

"Matt got a telegram from Judge Brooker. We have to be in Hays for a special hearing."

"You're leaving? Now?!"

Newly grabbed his wife, pulling her into his arms, once he reached the top of the stairs. "Now. Today. I'm supposed to meet Matt back at the jail shortly."

Calleigh took the opportunity to claim his lips and pressed her body against his. "How soon?" her voice was breathless from the kiss.

Newly groaned, dreading his answer. "About half an hour." Calleigh fell against him, releasing a long-suffering sigh.

"I will get home as soon as I can." He tipped her face up to his and kissed her again. "Promise me, you won't start without me." Calleigh slapped him playfully and they walked arm in arm into the bedroom to pack his things.

 **TBC**


	7. Chapter 7 -Typhoid

**The Flame Within the Storm**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Typhoid**

Since Calleigh knew that Doc was with Kitty, she decided to go into Dodge to check up on Tia. On the ride in, she wondered if the two women could be coming down with something. It was that time of year—hot and bone dry one week, cold and raining the next; with lots of germs floating around. Summer colds, they called them; but often as not, this was a good time of year for these 'colds' to morph into full-blown cases of pneumonia. Of course, pneumonia wasn't contagious. What were the odds that both would contract it at the same time?

She pulled up in front of Ma Smalley's. Instead of guessing, she just needed to examine the girl. It could just be fatigue and all of her worrying was for nothing. Calleigh grabbed her bag and ran up to the house.

From the front door, the young doctor began to call for Ma and within seconds of hearing her name, the middle-aged woman appeared in the hallway. "Calleigh; hello child. What are you doing here?" She wiped her wet hands on her apron.

"Came to see Tia. Is she up in her room?"

"Yes." Ma noticed the black bag in Calleigh's hand. "When she didn't get up for work, I checked on her. She said that Kitty gave her the day off, so I just figured she was sleeping late. Tia didn't say a word about being sick. Are you here as Calleigh, or Little Doc?"

"I'm afraid I'm playing doctor today. Both she and Kitty came back from Wichita feeling puny. I told Tia yesterday that I would check on her today."

"You go on up. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks Ma. " Calleigh climbed the stairs to the room at the end of the hall. She rapped quietly on the girl's door, but after several minutes, there was still no answer. Calling Tia's name softly, Calleigh opened the door to peek inside, only to find that Tia was sitting on the side of the bed, obviously too weak to get to the door.

Calleigh rushed to the girl's bedside, easing her back down. "You are not looking good, young lady." The young physician popped open her black bag and began pulling out her tools. "I take it you aren't feeling any better than yesterday?"

"I feel terrible."

"Did you take those pills I gave you?" Tia nodded, unable to speak with a thermometer stuck in her mouth. Calleigh removed the instrument and was surprised at the reading. "Can you be more specific than 'you feel terrible'?" Calleigh smiled, trying to keep the conversation light.

"I am sooo tired. I ache and my muscles are cramping." Tia brushed her hand over her forehead, "And this headache! It just won't go away."

"Are you nauseous?"

"Some. Not a lot."

"I'll be right back." Calleigh left Tia's bedside and stepped out into the hall, calling for the landlady. Almost immediately, the familiar face appeared at the bottom of the stairs waiting for instructions. "Would you mind bringing up a basin of cool water and some cloths?"

"I will; and Thad is waiting in the parlor to talk to you. He says it's urgent." With that said, the elder woman hurried back toward the kitchen to fetch the basin and Calleigh returned to her patient.

"Tia, I'm going to give you some more pills for that headache and quinine for the cramps." While she was talking, Ma arrived with the requested items. "Could you just set it beside the bed?" the older woman complied and waited to see if she could help. Calleigh dipped the cloth into the cool water, rung it out and wiped the girl's face. "I'm going to ask you to help keep an eye on our young friend, here. She needs a cool compress to get this fever down."

"Oh, no. I don't want to be any trouble." Tia made an attempt to sit up, but failed.

Ma took Calleigh's place on the side of the bed, "Nonsense child. You are no trouble at all."

"I'm going to go see what Thad needs. Could you stay with her?"

"I surely will." Ma gave the sick girl a motherly smile and patted the cool cloth against her warm flesh.

Calleigh closed the door to Tia's room, her confident smile instantly fading. Whatever was wrong, her patient was succumbing to this illness much too quickly. It had only been twenty-four hours since she arrived home. Calleigh's thoughts were with Tia, as she stepped into the parlor. "Ma said you wanted to see me?"

Thad stood, hat in hand, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "You need to come with me. Bethany needs to talk to you."

"Thad, I've got a sick girl upstairs and-"

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" He stopped her in mid sentence.

"Well, no; not yet."

Thad was more serious than she had ever seen him. "I think I do. Come with me, this is really important. You need to talk to Bethany. She sent me to get you, because she can't leave the restaurant."

Calleigh ran upstairs long enough to tell Ma she was leaving, but would be right back. She then met Thad at the door and they headed for the Prairie Rose.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Newly noticed that Matt seemed unusually quiet as they rode side-by-side. They had been on the road for a several hours before the younger man finally spoke up. "You all right?"

Matt responded with a silent, but puzzled expression.

"You're pretty quiet, even for you."

Matt pulled the reins to one side, alerting Buck to avoid the rut in the road. He let loose a hefty sigh and a sheepish grin. "Just worried about Kitty."

"She wasn't any better this morning?"

"No. Doc stayed all night and I know she's in good hands but...I still worry."

"I know." Newly gave him a knowing look and attempted to change the subject "What happened at Ollie Dobbs' hearing?"

"That's right, you were gone when Judge Danbe got into town. Well, he listened to the story. Since Kitty wouldn't sign a complaint, I didn't have much to give to Danbe. Believe it or not, Ollie pled guilty, said how sorry he was and that he'll never touch another drop of liquor in his life. The judge let him off with time served." The Marshal's mouth twisted in disgust, "I should have waited for Judge Brooker."

Even though, he knew what a sore subject this was for the big man, Newly had to laugh. "Think he means it, about the drinking I mean?"

Again, Matt surrendered to a heavy sigh, "I don't know. He felt really bad when he sobered up. Especially when he saw Kitty in all her glory—black eye, swollen jaw and split lip. Payday was last week and he didn't even leave the ranch to go into town with the boys."

"Payday? You didn't fire him?"

Matt screwed up his mouth, yet again and looked straight ahead as if to avoid Newly's gaze, "Kitty wouldn't let me." His faint response was barely audible. He could see Newly biting his lip to maintain a serious face. "She said he made a mistake, but he had been a good hand for a long time."

"I'm sorry. I know how hard that was for you. She looked pretty bad, but Kitty was right, Ollie really isn't a bad guy. That whole thing was just a...freak accident."

"I know. Most of my problem was guilt. I have never laid a hand on a woman in my life; and when I felt my fist make contact with her face..." he looked at Newly with complete self loathing. "There she was, all battered, yet she was so worried about me, how it was affecting _me_." More than anything in this world, he wanted to turn around and run home to Kitty. "Imagine that happening to Calleigh, by your own hand no less."

Newly looked rather sheepish, "Well, if you remember correctly, Marshal, Festus and I shot her...on purpose."

"Yeah, you might have outdone me on that one." The Marshal glanced over at his riding partner with a shameful smile, "We sure know how to treat our womenfolk, don't we? Beat 'em and shoot 'em. No wonder they're so crazy about us."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

After leaving Ma Smalley's, they did more fast walking than talking, on their way to the Prairie Rose. Bethany was pacing nervously around the dining room, when she saw them approaching. Without a word, she motioned for them to follow her into the office in the back.

"What's this all about? You know what's wrong with Tia?" Calleigh began immediately.

Bethany looked fearfully at Thad, "I might, but I hope not." Taking a deep breath, she started to explain. "Kitty bought some equipment in Wichita and they delivered it this morning. The delivery guy got to talking and told me another restaurant there in town was closing. The Chowder House. He warned me not to buy anything from them, because it's being shut down…because of typhoid. Six people came down with it after eating there."

Calleigh stood frozen in place. "Typhoid," her mind flashed with Tia's image. "Oh, God, Cooper and Kitty!"

"I don't know any of this for sure," Bethany admitted "I hope I'm not just being a nervous Nellie here, but they are both sick and ..." She looked at Thad again for encouragement. "If I'm wrong-"

Calleigh took Bethany's hands in hers, "Don't apologize. Whether it's typhoid or not, you did the right thing. Thank you." Calleigh looked at both of them, her eyes reflecting the dread that she felt. "I have to get back to Tia. Thad, can you go and tell Doc. Since Kitty is sick too-"

"I know." Thad stopped her, "Matt was telling me this morning. That's one of the reasons we felt you had to know what this guy said. I'll go out there right now."

"Thanks. Just tell Doc that I have to stay with Tia. Then send a wire to Hays and tell Matt to get back here. Now—if not sooner."

 **TBC**


	8. Chapter 8 - The Storm

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 8**

 **The Storm**

Matt and Newly arrived in Hays, both exhausted from the ride. They had pushed themselves and their horses in order to make better time. As it turned out, the entire trip was a waste of everybody's time.

Granville McCready was shot and killed, while trying to escape. Unfortunately, this happened shortly after the two lawmen had departed Dodge and there was no way to get a hold of them to turn them around.

"Matt, I'm sorry you made this trip for nothing. I'd be glad to at least buy you boys some dinner to make up for it." Judge Brooker offered.

Matt glanced at Newly to confirm their other plans. "Thanks' a lot, Judge; we'll have to take a rain check on that dinner. Kitty is sick and I really want to get back home."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Anything serious?" Judge Brooker had met Kitty on several occasions and like most, was always impressed with her charms.

"Says she's just exhausted. She and our son went to Wichita last week on a buying trip for the Prairie Rose."

"Please, tell her that I was so impressed with her new restaurant." Judge Brooker said, as he walked the lawmen to the door. "I ate there the last time I came through Dodge. Unfortunately, you were out of town. Speaking of that, did I hear you're going to retire this year?"

"Guilty as charged. I want to spend more time with my family." Matt knew the decision was right, every time he heard himself say the words.

"I hate to lose you, Matt, but I can't say as I blame you. I lost my Martha last year. You be sure and spend as much time as you can with Kitty and those children." The Judge then turned to Newly, "How about you, son? Are you going to go full time?"

Newly grinned and looked at Matt. "No, sir. I learned from my father-n-law not to make that mistake."

Brooker started to laugh, "I forgot that you're married to his daughter. That would be the little redheaded spitfire I met the last time I was in Dodge City. She was in the restaurant and Kitty introduced me."

The two lawmen looked at each other, confused about the 'spitfire' comment. Brooker saw the look and quickly explained. "Apparently, someone came into the establishment, shall we say—slightly inebriated. He said some rather foul things to the young waitress and your daughter—his wife—threw him out. I could not believe my eyes.

"That tiny little thing goaded this fellow into going after her and then just as he got close, she stepped aside and tripped him. The next thing I knew she'd hit him over the head with one of those pots by the front door. She rolled him out onto the boardwalk and into the street, then came back inside, calm as you please." Brooker's laughter was rich, genuine and quickly drew both Matt and Newly in. "You must have your hands full, Newly."

"She is a challenge sir, but worth every bit of it."

Brooker put a hand on the younger man's shoulder, "Both of you—lucky men." There was a hint of sorrow in his tone as he added, "don't take a minute of it for granted."

The two men stepped out of the judge's office, only to find themselves facing a torrential downpour. They both huddled back against the building, knowing that, eventually that moment comes when you just have to take the plunge. They also knew that running into the rain would be about as much fun as jumping into an ice-cold river.

"Think it will let up?" Newly yelled over the pounding rain.

Matt attempted to peer up from beneath the roof of the porch. "Don't think so," he grinned and gave the younger man a punch to the shoulder, "Com'on, neither of us will melt." They pulled their rain slickers up, their hats down and ran for the horses.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Ma leaned forward and gently shook the girl's shoulder. "Calleigh...Calleigh?"

The young doctor stirred slightly, struggling at first to open her eyes—until she realized where she was. She sat up straight and focused on her patient.

"I brought you some coffee and breakfast." Ma Smalley studied the exhausted girl. "You need to get some rest too. Some real sleep, in a bed."

Calleigh ignored the breakfast, but reached for the coffee. "I'll get plenty of rest; after Tia's better."

The older lady shook her head sadly, as she looked at the sleeping blonde. "It just seems like it hit her so hard, so fast."

"Bethany said she worked herself to a frazzle before the trip. I think she was just so exhausted that she didn't have anything left to fight with. But, she's young and healthy." Calleigh tried to stretch the kinks from her back, then crossed over to the bed to check on her patient. Tia opened her eyes, but failed to exhibit any signs of improvement.

"Help me sit her up, will you Ma?" Between the two of them, they propped Tia up against the pillows. "Now if you will hand me that breakfast that you made... Tia, let's see if you can eat just a few bites."

"I'll try, but I'm not really hungry." The girl licked her lips and tried to swallow, "My mouth is so dry, I'm so thirsty."

Calleigh held a glass of water up to Tia's dried lips while she took a few sips. "Okay, let's try a little of this oatmeal." Again, Tia was only able to get a few bites down before her body rejected it. Calleigh held the sick girl's head as she emptied her stomach into the pan, then washed the residue from her face. "We'll try some more later."

Ma saw the discouraged expression on the young doctor's face when she turned to hand back the breakfast tray. She also saw Calleigh put that face away as she turned back toward Tia. "Tia, I have to ask you something. Did you and Kitty eat at a place called, The Chowder House, when you were in Wichita?"

"The Chowder House?" Tia leaned back on the pillows and closed her eyes again. "I don't think we...no, wait a minute. We didn't _eat_ there, but we did have a glass of tea..." She winced from the pain that had not simply taken up residence in her head, but now seemed to have taken over her whole body. "Is that what's made me sick?"

"I think it might be, but that's a good thing. That means we know we're fighting here." Calleigh eased Tia upright, enough to allow her to swallow two tiny pills and a gulp of water.

Tia smiled as she closed her eyes and settled back onto the bed. "That means you'll have me well in no time." Within minutes, she was asleep again.

Calleigh literally fell back into the chair by the bed. Ma gave her hand an affectionate pat. "Let me bring some more breakfast. You have to eat too."

"Why?" She stared at the sick woman, "So I can keep giving her such good care?"

"Calleigh Reign O'Brian! We both know that there is only so much you can do with typhoid! She **IS** in good hands. You just stop feeling sorry for yourself and do your job!" Ma turned toward the door. "Now, I'm going downstairs and fix you breakfast and you're going to eat it. All!"

Calleigh stared at the empty doorway where the older woman had just stood. Blinking slowly, she digested Ma's words. Despite the situation, she couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth. Looks, like I'm in good hands too, she thought.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

"Calleigh?" Ma peeked around the door, looking for the young doctor.

A hand popped up from behind the dressing screen. "Right here," Calleigh stepped out from behind the panel with a stack of fresh towels. A curious frown crossed her face when she failed to see the requested fresh water. "Did you need help to carry the water?"

"Actually, I have help." Ma glanced over her shoulder to a rugged looking young cowboy. Wylie Norris stepped in front Ma with a full bucket of water. This blonde haired, blue-eyed man was known for his easy manner and disarming grin, but that didn't seem to be an apt description today. Today, his face was lined with worry, as his gaze settled on the patient. "How is she, Little Doc?"

"She's asleep. Could you pour some fresh water into that basin?" Calleigh grabbed up one of the clean cloths and met Wylie at the bedside. "Her fever is still high; we're trying to bring it down with this." She dropped the compress into water and had started to wring it out, when a calloused hand gently covered hers.

"Could I do that? I would be real careful, Little Doc." His eyes flickered quickly from Calleigh, to Tia and back.

Calleigh released the wet cloth into his large hand and relinquished her spot on the bed. With a questioning look, he waited until she told him it was all right to sit down.

Although Wylie worked at the LadyK, it wasn't unusual for a hand to be sent over to the Double O when needed. He had hired on the same time as his older brother, Rafe; about three years ago. Calleigh had taken care of Rafe not too long ago, when he got shot.

The two brothers had gone into town on a Saturday night—and ended up at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Rafe had walked out of the Long Branch, just when two men had decided to settle their argument with guns.

The only person shot...was Rafe. He was struck in the right temple and never regained consciousness. Calleigh sat by his side for a week, until death finally granted him peace. Wylie had always been grateful to her for not giving up on his only family.

Despite his rough exterior, neither of the women were surprised at the way Wylie tenderly wiped the cloth across Tia's flushed cheeks. "I know it's been three days. I would have come sooner, but I was out on a roundup." Wylie looked back at Calleigh. "Did she ask for me?"

"She has; but Wylie, she didn't know you weren't here. For the most part, she's been sleeping. The good news is, her temperature has been down for most of the day."

"How's Miss Kitty? I heard she has the same sickness."

His question caused Calleigh to wince, as though he had squeezed her heart. Doc was with Kitty; and Calleigh knew her place was with Tia. Bethany had gone out when she could, or had sent one of her girls out, to get an update on Kitty. So far, there had been no change. "I haven't been to see her."

The young cowpoke dipped the cloth back into the water and proceeded to wring out the excess water. "If Ma will stay and help me, I'd be glad to sit with Tia while you run out to see your mom. I planned on staying a while anyway."

Calleigh desperately wanted to go, but leaving Tia unattended was just not possible, nor professional. Still… "That is so sweet-"

"Calleigh," Ma put her hand around the young woman's shoulder. "Wylie and I will be right here. You said her fever was down. Just go home long enough to see Kitty. You'll feel better and maybe she's awake. If she is, she will definitely want to see you—and hear that Tia's better too. Go on, now."

 **LadyKLadyKLadyK LadyKLadyKLadyK**

Calleigh threw Belle's reins haphazardly across the rail and rushed into the house. It had been three days now since she had seen Kitty and she was afraid of what she might encounter. From the doorway of the bedroom, she could see Doc seated beside the bed, dozing. Kitty was asleep.

Even though Calleigh barely made a sound, it was enough to wake up the older man. In his line of work, he was used to catching little bits of sleep, here and there, while sitting with his patients. "How did you get away? Tia didn't-"

"No, Doc; no. She didn't die." Calleigh was quick to put his mind at ease. "The first couple of days were scary, but the fever was down today. She sleeps most of the time, but she's never lost consciousness—so far."

Answering Doc's questions didn't stop Calleigh from reaching Kitty. She carefully sat on the edge of the bed. "We've been forcing liquids too. Tia is young and healthy. I think she's going to be okay."

"Did you leave her with Ma?"

Calleigh nodded, "And Wylie, her boyfriend." She glanced over her shoulder at Doc. "He works at the LadyK. Big, blonde guy."

"His brother the one that got shot last year?" Doc's furry brows wrinkled together like a wooly worm crawling across his forehead. "I remember him. Good kid. They were both good kids," the old physician added sadly. "So, this Wylie is seeing Tia?"

"Yeah. They make a good match." Calleigh touched Kitty's cheek, then gently took her hand. "Your turn, Poppy."

"Pretty much the same. Her fever won't come down. She sleeps most of the time. Keeping food or liquids down has been impossible. Maybe you can get her to cooperate. The one consistent thing she does, is to ask for Matt."

Kitty moaned softly, then turned her head in the direction of her child's voice, forcing her eyes open. It seemed to take a moment to focus.

"Calleigh?" The groggy patient pushed herself up on one elbow, "What's going on?"

Calleigh gently pushed her mother back down, "You just need to lay back and relax."

"Is Tia still sick too?"

"She's not as stubborn as you. Tia listens to her doctor... and is getting better."

"You're just a bully; but I'm glad to hear that Tia is better." This news seemed to bring peace to Kitty, "Are the kids all right?"

"They're both asleep right now, but you can see them as soon as they wake up." Calleigh had turned to the process of wiping Kitty down with a cool, wet cloth.

"What is it? Do you know what's wrong with me?" Kitty closed her eyes, her strength waning again. When no one answered, she opened her eyes, but found both doctors avoiding her gaze. "What is it? Calleigh, look at me!"

Blue eyes met. One set demanding answers, the other forced to give them up. "Typhoid… But Tia is getting better; you will too."

Calleigh was surprised by her mother's response. Instead of fear, Kitty offered a weak smile and held out her hand to Doc. "We've been down this road before, haven't we? You got Chester through it; I know between the two of you, you'll get me through it too." Within seconds of closing her eyes, Kitty was fast asleep.

Calleigh looked at the older physician, "Chester had typhoid?"

Doc nodded, "It was a long time ago. We lost several people before I could figure out what was causing it. Chester was sick for almost a week, but he pulled through. We're going to do it again. I promise."

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Matt and Newly sat astride their horses, side-by-side under the scant protection of a half-rotted cottonwood tree. After riding for almost two days, they still hadn't been able to outrun the torrential rain. They'd passed wet on the first day, graduated to soaked—and now had reached the waterlogged stage. The ground was so saturated, that their horses were having trouble keeping a sure footing.

"Do you want to stop?" Newly yelled into the pounding rain.

"If there was any place to take shelter, I would, but if we're going to keep getting soaked, we might as well be moving. We should be home in an hour or so."

Newly agreed and was about to acknowledge the same, when he was silenced by a simultaneous roar of thunder furiously demanding to be heard, chased by an explosion that lit up the sky. Brilliant veins of radiance scattered through the night, illuminating the rain.

From this cataclysmic lightshow, one silvery thread dove to earth, piercing the trunk of the tree they had chosen for shelter. The old wood exploded, sending splinters and burnt chunks of wood into the downpour. The aging cottonwood shook the earth for a second, then began to give way.

The timber screamed as it ripped apart, splitting the tree down its jagged center. Neither of the men, nor their horses, had time to consciously react. Half of the tree uprooted, creating a massive cavity, crowded with tangled roots and slime.

Buck tried to run, but couldn't get a footing in the mudslide. He bolted just enough to throw Matt into the massive pit, entangling him in the gnarled roots and slivers of wood. The sounds and sights, had terrified Newly's horse, who reared up, sending his rider down the hillside in the opposite direction of the tree. This act of panic saved Newly, but not the horse, who was caught under the falling tree.

At the same time, Matt had fallen from Buck and slid under Newly's horse. To the men, it seemed as though they were caught up in a never-ending calamity, but in reality, the whole thing happened in just a matter of seconds.

Newly pulled himself from the muck and slime and staggered over to the deadly pit. His heart rose to his throat as he clawed through the mud, searching for Matt.

"Over here." the two words were hacked out between fits of coughing. Matt pushed himself up as far as he could.

Newly froze for a moment, straining to hear the voice again. When Matt hollered a second time, Newly was able to locate the sound. Scrambling through the vines and roots, he made his way to the other end of the pit. There, lying under Newly's dead horse, was the Marshal.

"Are you hurt?" Newly yelled.

Matt grimaced, as he tried to maneuver free of the lifeless animal. "I don't think so," he shouted above the rain, "But I'm stuck."

Newly crawled around the pit. Half of the rotted tree had fallen on the horse and Matt was pinned under both. "I'm going to get a rope and see if Buck can move the tree enough for you to get out."

Matt nodded and coughed up more of the black mucous-like glop. Buck was still skittish, but didn't shy away from Newly when he tied the rope to his saddle. The deputy climbed down into the muddy pit and tied the other end around the tree trunk.

"When you feel the pressure let up, try to climb out." Matt nodded and tried to gain some footing in order to be ready. Buck followed the commands given to him, but solid ground was too elusive and the tree too heavy. It was clear, after a couple of tries, that freedom was not going to come by this means.

The young man climbed back down into the hole to face the storm's hostage. They looked at one another, both knowing what the future held—if Matt couldn't get free, he would drown. He saw the fear in the young man's eyes. Not that the Marshal wanted to die, far from it; but he was a realist, he knew the odds weren't in his favor. "You need to take Buck and ride on in to Dodge for help." Matt hollered into the pelting rain.

Both men knew that Dodge was probably an hour away. It would be at least two hours before Newly could get there and get back with help. At the rate the hole was filling up, it was doubtful they even had an hour left before Matt would be totally submerged.

"I can't leave you here!"

Matt managed a bleak smile. "It's the only chance I have, Newly." It sounded logical, but they both knew there was virtually no chance at all.

Newly looked at the man he had come to love and admire. The man who had become not just a father-in-law, but a father. "Matt...I..."

The Marshal shook his head, "Nothing to say, son. If you don't get back in time..." the rest was unnecessary "I know you'll take care of the family. Tell Kitty..." this time when he choked, it wasn't from the mud. "Never mind. She knows." They stared silently for a moment, neither acknowledged the assaulting torrent. "Go!"

The younger man climbed onto Buck and glanced back one more time, before giving a kick. The pouring rain that pummeled his face, camouflaged his tears.

 **TBC**


	9. Chapter 9 -Typhoid vs The Storm

**The Flame Within the Storm**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Typhoid vs. The Storm**

Calleigh squeezed the cloth, wringing out the excess water, and draped it across Kitty's forehead. It had been five days since the two women had been exposed. In the beginning, Kitty had fared better than Tia; but that seemed to have changed in just the last twenty-four hours. The younger girl appeared to be more resilient. Tia had improved to the point that Calleigh felt secure in leaving her in Ma and Wylie's capable hands. Kitty, on the other hand, didn't seem to be making any progress at all.

She'd had no appetite; and the small amounts they were able to get into her, didn't stay down long enough for any nutritional benefit. Liquids were forced, to keep her from dehydrating. Ironically, although Kitty's cheeks appeared to have a healthy glow; in reality, it was only the fever producing color against the pallor of her skin. Kitty maintained consistency in one area: Whether conscious, or bordering on an almost comatose state, she cried for Matt.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Matt struggled against the suffocating mud, striving for just an extra inch up. It wasn't much, but the water was up to his chest now and every bit—no matter how miniscule—helped. Dillon figured they were approximately an hour from Dodge; surely Newly had been gone at least half that time by now. He'd know for sure, if only he could get to his pocket watch.

Realizing that the watch was surely ruined, Matt felt a twinge of sadness. Then he began to laugh. "I'm about to drown in a pool of mud and I'm sad because my watch is ruined!" The laughter released some of the tension he felt, trying to come to terms with his own death.

Instead, his thoughts turned to the treasured memories life had given him: …The sound of Cooper calling him daddy for the first time.

…Bringing Hadley into the world.

…The first time Calleigh hugged him and told him she loved him. It was right before the Father-Daughter dance.

…The fair, when both of his children won blue ribbons. Again, he found himself laughing out loud, when he remembered his daughter, winning the pie-eating contest against men two and three times her size—and Festus!

Images of his friends and family continued to filter through his mind's eye: …Meeting Doc, and slowly developing a father son relationship. He only hoped that Newly held the same affection for him, that he had for Doc. Of course, he could not keep from smiling when he thought of Festus; the crazy schemes, ridiculous talk—but that tenacious lil' hillman was the most dependable friend a man could ever hope to have.

These images—and more—flashed past, moving in and out, until he came to …Kitty. Never had a man loved a woman the way he loved her. He felt as though his heart were caught in a vice when he realized that he would never see her again, never feel the touch of her body against his own…or the taste of her lips, the sweet sound of her voice. Memories of her came cascading down upon him, almost more than he could bear…

…That first morning in the restaurant—it was raining that day too.

...The first time he kissed her—the town of Dodge was asleep, except for the two of them, as they walked down Front Street, after the Long Branch had closed. She had looked up at him, her face framed by the soft moonlight, her lips full, moist, inviting. Matt was pretty sure, that was the exact moment she had captured his heart…

…Their first picnic; it was also the setting for the first time they made love. The day was warmer than expected and they'd decided to take a dip in Willigers Pond to cool off. Matt managed a dimpled smile; the results, from the two of them swimming naked, had been inevitable.

Despite the hard life she had struggled to escape, Kitty still had been so young and fresh. How could he _not_ have fallen in love with her? What he didn't know in the beginning, was that she was just going to continue to grow more and more beautiful—both inside and out—with time.

Suddenly, Matt began to struggle for footing. He would **_not_** simply give up and leave her alone. _She_ deserved better than that. His children deserved better.

The rain was finally working to his advantage, as it gave a little buoyancy to the dead animal that was weighing him down; not enough for the Marshal to break loose, but it did give him a tiny boost up. Grabbing hold of the reins, he pulled with all his strength.

Exhaustion soon overtook the determined Marshal and he finally surrendered for some much needed rest. The water was now at his armpits, as opposed to almost around his neck. Difficult as it had been, the effort proved to be invaluable.

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Newly was on the road for about half-an-hour, when he finally found himself riding out of the rain. The new terrain revealed that it had stormed, but nothing like what he and Matt had just gone through.

Buck had been pushed as much as he could take for the moment, so Newly slowed to keep from killing the weary animal. However, the slower pace was giving the man too much time to think.

Newly was bombarded with thoughts of life—everyone's life—without Matt Dillon. The young deputy could not imagine, had never seen, Dodge without the Marshal. How would Dillon's children cope? His friends? His Kitty?

Newly seriously doubted that she **_could_** survive. Those two hearts had merged years ago, like those tangled roots twisting under a giant cottonwood tree. Was it possible for either of them to exist, if they were ever ripped apart?

It took a moment to be pulled from his reverie, to realize there were two riders coming his way. Newly's heart began to pound and he pushed Buck to go just a little faster. He thought his heart would explode from excitement. They were too far off still, to make out many details, but he _did_ recognized that mule and that beat up, floppy hat on one rider. Buck was unable to pick up speed, but the approaching riders had begun to gallop faster and soon all three travelers came together.

Festus was the first to ask, "Why er you a ridin Buck? Whars Matthew?"

"Follow me." Taking no time away from the rescue, Newly turned back toward Hays, motioning for his friends to come alongside. "We got caught in a rainstorm and we were sheltering under a cottonwood tree, when lightning hit and split it right down the center. When the tree uprooted, it threw both of us off our mounts and my horse fell into the hole and was killed. Matt slid down into the mud right at the same moment—right under my horse, and both got tangled in the roots. The Marshal's stuck under that animal and the hole is quickly filling with water. He doesn't have much time left before he drowns."

Newly could see the fear in his companions' eyes escalate. "What are you two doing out here anyway?"

"Miss Kitty is powerful sick and Calleigh had us to wire that there judge in Hays to get ol' Matthew back home, lickity-quick. They said you plum turned right around that same day, headed fer home. We all knowed you shoulda been there by now, so we cum a lookin fore ya."

For the first time that day, Newly's attention was drawn from Matt. "What's wrong with Miss Kitty?"

"Typhoid." This time it was Thad answering questions, "She and Tia contracted it in Wichita."

An immediate fear clutched at Newly's heart, "Is Cooper all right?"

"The boy's fine. It was just the two women."

Newly pulled ahead of the other two men. There would be time for talk about everything later. Right now, they needed to get back to Matt. The three of them picked up their pace and continued to ride in worried silence.

 **TBC**


	10. Chapter 10 - Mirrored Memories

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Mirrored Memories**

Both kids were becoming anxious. While Cooper expressed his anxiety in a quiet, withdrawn manner, Hadley had become even more demanding than usual. Despite the fact that Kitty was asleep, Calleigh and Doc agreed that the children should at least be able to see their mother.

Calleigh explained to them that they had to be very quiet, but could tiptoe into momma's bedroom to assure themselves that she was all right. All the shades were drawn, leaving the room in a calm, shadowy light. The young doctor placed a finger to her lips to insure quiet.

Cooper walked up to the bed, staring first at his momma, then back to Poppy. "Is she really asleep?" he whispered. The older man nodded with a reassuring smile. "Can I give her a kiss?" Again, Poppy nodded. Cooper leaned forward and left a kiss on his momma's cheek. He wiped the tear from his eye and ran from the room.

Hadley had watched her big brother with a child's curiosity. Calleigh stepped closer to the bed with the toddler resting on her hip. "Do you want to give momma a kiss?"

The little girl stared at her momma, then began squirming in an attempt to be free of her sister's hold. At first, Calleigh thought that Hadley just wanted to copy Cooper, but soon the crying began. It started in a soft sob, but within seconds, burst into a full-blown tantrum. Hadley Reign Dillon wanted her mother!

Somehow, the smallest redhead broke free. Just as Hadley was about to scramble onto the bed, her sister managed to reclaim her. Even though the little one wasn't able to reach her goal, the screaming did rouse Kitty enough to see her youngest child in tears. Doc hurried to give his patient something that would send her back to sleep.

Hadley's little fingers found a home wrapped around her sister's neck "Don't cry baby, Sissy's here." Calleigh struggled to breathe as she continued to comfort the toddler. She paced around the kitchen attempting to calm the child. "Shhh, momma is going to be fine. Don't cry, babygirl"

Little by little, with an occasional gasp and lots of hiccups the crying began to subside. Calleigh met Doc's eyes when he entered the room.

"She's out," Doc took a seat and put out his hands to Cooper. The boy wasted no time climbing up onto the old physician's lap. "Are you alright?" Cooper nodded, then snuggled deeper into Poppy's arms. The room fell silent, except for the occasional sniffle from Hadley.

 **Matt/Kitty**

Kitty felt the drug coursing through her body, relaxing every achy limb and sore muscle along the way. Hadley's voice echoed inside Kitty's head, but the medication softened the reality of what had just happened, leaving her only sweet memories of her baby girl. As her mind was sifting through memories, one in particular surfaced, taking her back to a more pleasant time…

The rain was beginning to let up, but Matt realized it was too late to make a difference. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the sounds of nature's gentler side come out of hiding. One sound in particular caught his attention, when somewhere close by he could hear the drumming of a ruffled grouse. The sound was enough to elicit a much-needed happy memory. 'Drummy-birds', Hadley called them, as she would giggle with delight. His babygirl. Another memory shoved into this one, taking the man even further back…

 **Kitty**

 ** _Matt had been gone almost two weeks, tracking down a couple of bank robbers. She could hear him down the hall, putting Cooper to bed while she was taking a bath. She'd finished bathing and stood up in the tub. Her reflection in the mirror left her feeling very unattractive. Not that she resented the baby. Being pregnant a second time was truly a miracle for her, but...it didn't do much in the way of making her feel desirable._**

 **** ** _Kitty let her eyes travel slowly down her body, then back up, settling only fleetingly on those freckles that she simply could not keep covered up! She then wondered exactly when her hair had become this disgusting color?_**

 ** _Matt could have any woman he wanted. She had watched enough of them throw themselves at him over the years. Though she could hardly blame any of them. What, with those liquid blue eyes, it was like diving straight into the ocean. She just wanted to drown in them._**

 **Matt**

 **It was his first night back after two weeks of chasing a couple of bank robbers. Cooper was snuggled up in his arms as he carried the boy up to bed. He could hear Kitty in the water closet; and to be honest, he was in a hurry to get to her. However, right now, his son came first, so he tucked in the boy and kissed him goodnight. Matt moved as quietly as possible toward the water closet and gave the door a gentle push. Kitty had stood up in the tub and he could see her reflection in the mirror. He hoped she didn't hear his quiet gasp as he watched her stand up. Beads of water ran down her breasts and across her swollen belly.**

 **She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but when she was pregnant...she just radiated. Her porcelain skin was the perfect background for those freckles that he loved so much and there was a luster to her hair that made it glow even more, like copper dancing on flames. "Of all the men in Kansas, hell in the country, she could have her pick," he thought to himself, "why would she choose me?"**

 **Kitty**

 ** _Sometimes, she felt that she was happier than she deserved, but what had her happiness cost him? Matt Dillon was a rugged, born-and-bred cowboy. He loved to hunt, to camp, to fight and to ride on the open prairie. He loved the sense of freedom these things brought. Sometimes, she worried that she had taken too much from Matt. He had been the one to suggest a family, but she was already pregnant; what choice did he really have? Poor Matt, two children—and a third on the way—not to mention, a fat wife, she concluded ruefully._**

 **Matt**

 **For a moment, a scary moment, he contemplated what his life would have been without her: There would have been nothing to come home to, no one that cared whether he lived or died. There would have been no little ones to hug, or give him purpose. He would have ended up one of those lonely, bitter lawmen—too broken down to fight, too tired to hunt and too old to ride on the prairie. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of the life he had barely escaped.**

 **Matt/Kitty**

 _She was so deep in her own thoughts, she failed to notice Matt standing in the doorway. An involuntary gasp of surprise escaped. "You startled me! How long have you been standing there?"_

 _Matt stepped into the room and took the towel from her hand. "Here, let me help you with that."_

 _Matt took the towel and began to dry his wife's back; but within a few minutes, he seemed to forget his original objective, letting the towel drop to the floor. Before Kitty was able to put on her nightgown, Matt slid his hands down, letting his long fingers spread protectively across the resting place of his child. "She is so much smaller than Cooper was."_

 _Kitty leaned back into his chest, laying her hands over his. "I'm hoping for an easier time with this one."_

 _He leaned down and nuzzled the side of her neck "You look gorgeous when you're pregnant, you know that?"_

 _"_ _Matt..." his words embarrassed her and she reached for the towel._

 _"_ _Hey, hey," He twirled her around, forcing her to look at him. "Never be embarrassed with me. Kitten, you are absolutely beautiful." he reached for the cotton gown she had laid out._

 _She let him slip the gown over her head and smooth it down over her protruding belly. "I never would have guessed you would behave this way. All those years you didn't want any children." Matt scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. "Why are you always picking me up?" There was a trace of laughter in her voice as she laid her head against his chest._

 _"_ _I love the feel of you in my arms." Matt laid her on the bed and stretched out beside her. "It wasn't that I didn't want them, Kitten, I just thought I was being unfair to them. I grew up without a dad and... I didn't want to do that to them—or you." Again, he reached over, his large hand splayed across her belly. She doesn't kick nearly as hard as Cooper did either." Matt's brows furrowed as he contemplated this latest discovery._

 _"_ _You keep saying 'she'." Kitty pulled back, scrutinizing his actions, as well as his words. She watched as his hand hovered over the baby, his ear close, as if it were going to speak. "What are you doing?" She had to smile; he was so preoccupied with his touching and theorizing._

 _"_ _Just feeling her kick. Remember when Cooper would actually knock the book right off your stomach when you were reading?"_

 _"_ _I do."_

 _"_ _And he was so big, just like his dad. She's going to be all tiny and delicate, with the cutest sprinkling of freckles." Matt took his attention away from his daughter and began to scoot up on the bed, until they were face-to-face, giving him access to Kitty's lips, "just like her momma," he whispered in a kiss..._

 **Kitty**

 ** _…_** ** _As the memory dissolved in the final stages of the drug induced sleep, it left behind a peaceful smile._**

 **Matt**

 **…** **Without any warning, his dream was gone like a puff of smoke in the wind.**

 **GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke**

Matt's lids popped open as if they were on a spring and his heart began to race...Kitty...something was wrong. He had to get out of here! Somehow, he had to get to her. Matt struggled to free himself, but the more he tried the deeper he sank.

The hole was now so waterlogged that the mud had taken on a force similar to quicksand. He could feel himself being sucked deeper into the mire. Dillon's body was being swallowed by the black, thick sludge and he remained barely a head above suffocation. His hands, although still free, were needed to keep wiping the deadly muck from his face, as it crowded in around his mouth and nose, but it was coming in faster than he could sweep it away.

"Please God, let her be all right."

 **TBC**


	11. Chapter 11 - Matt Discovers Kitty Sick

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Matt Discovers Kitty Sick**

The rain had slowed down to a gentle drizzle. Newly was amazed at the contrast in just a few miles. They neared the area and he pointed to the fallen tree. Fear gripped each man as they looked into the murky pit and Matt was nowhere in sight.

"Are you sure this is the right spot?" Thad's eyes continued to search for a sign. "I don't see any-"

"Listen!" Festus leaned forward on Ruth, his head tilted as he listened again. "Cooper's whistle." The first time he murmured the words under his breath, and then he screamed it at the top of his lungs. " **Cooper's Whistle**!"

Festus jumped down from Ruth. He tied a rope around his waist tossed the other end to Newly and scrambled into the hole. "Look, it's that there whistle I carved for Cooper. Matthew is usin' it to breathe."

Thad started to rig up another rope to pull Matt from the muck when the time came. He ran it around the other half of the fallen tree, making a pulley.

Festus made his way deeper into the pit and stopped at the last two inches of elderwood sticking from the mud. With a frenzy he started digging, scooping muck away by the handfuls, until the familiar features of their friend began to materialize.

Thad tossed Festus the rope to slip under Matt's arms, while Newly tied off the rope attached to Festus, then ran to help Thad pull the Marshal free.

The rain had allowed the dead animal to float up just enough to pull Matt out from under its grasp. As soon as they had drug their friend onto the bank, Newly began clearing Matt's throat of the muddy glop that threatened to choke him, by leaning him over the dead tree and pounding in a steady rhythm to bring up the slime.

Matt coughed and choked as his body rejected the brown mucous. Newly then used the water from his canteen to wash out the Marshal's eyes and ears.

It was a good twenty minutes before Matt had cleared his throat enough to speak. His voice was raspy and his throat raw, but he was alive. His first words didn't really come as a surprise. "Kitty...is...she...all right?"

Never had a look traveled so fast as the one that raced between the three rescuers. How the hell did he know!? …But of course he would know.

Festus was the one to step forward. "Truth is, Matthew, she's powerful sick. Her an' that little Tia, come down with the typhoid. You go on, now—take Thad's horse. Well get back directly."

Matt knew horses and he knew he couldn't ride Thad's horse full-out all the way to Dodge. Despite his desperation, he paced himself in order to make sure he'd get to Kitty. His mind raced with regrets and self-recriminations.

Kitty had been sick when he left. He should have paid more attention. He should never have left her. Why didn't someone send a wire to Hays?

All of a sudden, he could see everything so clearly. That's why they were looking for him in the first place. They must have wired ahead and found out that he had already started for home.

 _Powerful sick_. The two words just kept circling around in his head. Matt fought against the panic chasing him. The LadyK was so close now; he finally gave the horse a kick to quickly cover those last few miles, separating the Marshal from his wife.

 **TBC**


	12. Chapter 12 - Matt Comes Home

**The Flame Within The Storm**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Matt Comes Home**

He rode so fast and hard that the dirt road was covered in a cloud of dust. Matt pulled back the reins, barely waiting for the horse to stop before jumping down. He jerked back the fancy screen door, that Kitty had specially made, slamming it against the house so hard it split the frame. The sound of his destruction alerted Doc and Calleigh of his arrival. Both doctors ran to the top of the stairs, both stunned by his grizzly appearance. He started up the stairs, taking them three at a time, until he confronted Doc halfway up.

Calleigh may not have known Matt as long as Doc, but she knew him well enough to realize they couldn't stop him. Instead, she slipped past him and on down the stairs.

Doc braced himself on the stairs with his hand out to stop the charging beast. "Matt, now hold on. You can't go in there like that. I don't know where you've been, but she-"

Matt butted up against the smaller man, "I love you Doc, but you'd better get out of my way."

" MATT! You've got to listen to me." Doc tried to retreat, but the big man was too close and he couldn't back up. "She's sick; you can't go in like that! You're covered in sludge and bugs and… only God knows what else!" Doc could see that Matt was crazed beyond reason.

Dillon pushed Doc aside and continued on to the landing. The bedroom door was only a few feet away, but something stronger pushed him to the floor. The sudden ambush caused him to stop his quest for only a moment. Matt climbed to his feet and turned around, bringing himself face-to-face with Ollie Dobbs.

"I'm real sorry, Marshal, but Miss Calleigh says you can't go in there like that. I have to protect Miss Kitty." Ollie's expression bore no anger, no malice and no intention of retreating from his post. A curly redhead suddenly appeared, hiding behind the mountain of a man.

Matt was in no mood to play this game. "Ollie get out of my way." The giant lawman started to shove past, but Ollie had become an immovable force.

"Matt, please! Will you just listen for a minute?" Calleigh could see he was so frantic that he couldn't hear her. Out of frustration, she forced her hand. "Ollie, make him listen."

The only man in Dodge City that was bigger than the Marshal, hit him with such a punch, that Dillon was out before he hit the floor. "Will you take him outside and have Poppy hold him under the pump until he's gotten this sludge-slime… whatever that stuff is, off of him. I'll be down in a minute." She started toward the bedroom for a clean shirt, then called over her shoulder "If he wakes up—hit him again!"

Somewhere between the punch and the water, Matt calmed down enough to listen. When he realized he could be harming Kitty, he quickly agreed to clean up He ripped off the mud-caked shirt and pants to slip on a fresh pair.

 **LadyKLadyKLadyKLadyKLadyKLadyK**

"Poppy!" Calleigh screamed to the older man for help. Doc moved faster than he thought he was capable. He was surprised to see the young girl trying to subdue her mother. Surprised that Kitty had that much strength. "She started screaming Matt's name."

"Well, he's downstairs washing up. He'll be up in a minute."

"We don't have a minute Poppy. She's on fire. The spring house!" Calleigh ran to the top of the stairs yelled for Ollie to come up. Within seconds, the big man was at her side. "Ollie, I need you to take Kitty to the spring house."

"Yes, ma'am" The huge, grizzly man stared down at the Marshal's wife. She looked so small, so helpless. Ollie swallowed hard, remembering the blow she had taken for him. She looked so fragile now, that he was afraid to touch her. He looked at Calleigh and she could see the fear in his eyes.

"Ollie, you won't hurt her. She will die if we don't get this fever down." Calleigh tried to stay calm to reassure him, but time was running out. "We have to hurry."

He nodded and ever so gently slipped his arms under the sick woman, scooping her from the bed. Kitty began to cry again, calling for Matt, but Calleigh quickly put Ollie at ease, reassuring the gentle giant that he wasn't hurting the Marshal's wife. Hurrying ahead, Calleigh opened the door to the springhouse and directed him inside. "Okay. Ollie, we need to set her down in the cold water, but just for a few seconds. Can you do that?"

Matt slipped into a clean pair of pants and pulled on his boots. Just as he slipped on a fresh shirt, he caught a glimpse of something huge heading toward the springhouse. His heart began to pound, while piercing blue eyes focused on the woman in Bear's arms. Kitty! What was HE doing with Kitty!

The red cotton shirt flapped free in the breeze as Matt ran up the hill. Crazy thoughts and unanswered questions burned in his mind. What is he doing with her!? If he hurts her, I will kill him! Matt charged at the wooden door, bursting into the tiny room. Two people huddled over the stream of cold water. Despite his volatile entrance, neither could afford to look away from their mission.

"Ollie Dobbs, what did you do with my wife! Calleigh what are you doing!" Despite the anguish in his voice, there was no time for answers.

Calleigh spread the blanket on the stone floor. "Okay, Ollie, take her out."

Matt quickly stepped closer and blocked Ollie's move. The two giant men stared at each other for only a moment before Matt realized that Ollie's actions were meant to help, not harm. Gratitude replaced anger, as Matt held out his hands. Bear gently released his charge into her husband's waiting arms.

Kitty's cold wet body was pressed against Matt's bare chest. He helped his daughter bring the blanket up around her. Once again, he encountered Bear when he turned back toward the door. "Thank you, Ollie."

The bigger man stepped aside to let the marshal pass. Calleigh put an arm around her helper, as she led him back to the house. Leaving Bear in the kitchen with coffee and the last piece of pie, Calleigh followed Matt upstairs, where the two of them managed to redress Kitty in a dry gown and get her settled into bed. The young physician checked, with a touch, and was satisfied to note that Kitty's temperature had been reduced.

There was just a trace of unrest when Kitty called her husband's name, but it was enough to prompt Matt to pull her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "It's all right, Kitten. I've got you." He continued to rock her while whispering comforting words.

"Oh, Matt." His name escaped her lips in a sigh of relief.

Calleigh and Doc simply watched; neither was surprised as Matt managed to pacify her. Her body gradually began to relax into his embrace. He eased her back onto the bed and tucked the covers around her.

Instinctively, she reached for his hand and he laced his fingers in hers. Matt sat on the edge of the bed to face his daughter. "How bad is it?" He spoke in a whisper, not wanting to wake Kitty from what finally looked to be a peaceful sleep.

"I think we have it licked. As long as you're here, she'll stay calm." Calleigh laid a hand on her dad's shoulder. "They picked it up in Wichita." Blue eyes flashed panic, which Calleigh quickly put to rest "Cooper is fine. He didn't drink any of the contaminated water. Matt, we tried to contact you as soon as we knew. We sent a wire to Hays, trying to get you back here."

Matt's gaze fell back down to his wife. Damp red tendrils gathered around her cheek, which he gently brushed aside. "I know you did, Sweet Pea. She's so pale and...so thin. How could she look so thin in only a week?"

"She's dehydrated and hasn't been able to keep any food down. Like I said, you're the only one who can keep her calm. When she's calm, her fever is more likely to stay down. When her fever is down, chances are better that we can get her to eat. Funny how one thing leads to another. We all tried but…it had to be you. You know how you two are."

A faint smile clung to Matt's lips as he turned his gaze back to Kitty. He brushed her cheek with the pads of his fingers and his words were a mere whisper, "Yeah, I know how we are." Matt leaned down, leaving a kiss on her forehead amidst the loose curls nesting there.

Newly cleared his throat from where he stood in the open door. Calleigh wasted no time rushing into his arms. He held her tight, drawing strength from the familiar feel of her body and the sweet scent that was all Calleigh. As he held her close, he peered over the top of the curly red hair to confront her dad.

"Is she better?" Even before Matt responded, Newly knew the answer to his question. He could see how peaceful Kitty appeared as she slept. "Looks like you're just what the doctor ordered."

Matt smiled, for what seemed like the first time in years. "We do have a couple of very fine physicians here." At that moment, he realized how quiet the house was. "Where are you hiding Cooper and Hadley?"

"With Bethany." Calleigh was happy to see him relax. "They should be home soon. They know momma's sick and they've been wanting to see her; but it didn't work out too well the last time we tried. I thought it'd be good for them to get away for awhile.

"What exactly is Ollie Dobbs doing here?" …And I _did_ hear you tell him to hit me, didn't I?"

"Calm down! I had to stop you." Calleigh had more of smirk on her face than was needed. " Actually, Kitty's fever spiked and we didn't have much time, we had to act fast and Ollie was the logical choice. Neither of us could've carried her! Matt, I promise you, he was so gentle with her. He's been a real help to us."

Matt turned his attention back to Kitty, but the name escaped one more time in grateful disbelief, "Ollie Dobbs."

Calleigh reached past him to check for fever once again. "Much better." As she pulled back, Matt saw the absence of her usual exuberance. It had been lost in a camouflage of exhaustion.

He grabbed his daughter's hand before she could fully retreat, "Have you slept at all since she's been sick?"

Before Calleigh could answer, not that she would have been honest anyway, they heard young voices full of excitement coming into the house. Apparently, they'd seen horses with saddlebags and bedrolls tied to the hitching post by the front porch. If such horses were home, then Daddy might be home too!

The soft thudding of little feet on the stairs, announced their arrival before voices, but very soon, shouts of " _daddy_!" broke the silence in the room. There wasn't time to usher them away from the sleeping patient, so Matt scooped them both into his arms. Each had questions, each wanted to give hugs and kisses and each wanted to see momma too.

With one on each arm, Matt stood up and they all looked down at the bed. "Momma is still sleeping. She doesn't feel well, yet. Can we all be really quiet?"

Hadley put her finger to her lips and 'shhh-ed' her big brother. "I can daddy." Matt kissed the freckled cheek and hugged her close. "That's daddy's girl."

"Is Bethany downstairs?" Calleigh reached over and took Hadley from her daddy.

"Uh-uh. Her go home." Hadley was generous with her kisses to her sister as well. Calleigh exchanged a somewhat puzzled look with Matt, until Doc stepped into the doorway.

Doc stepped closer to the bed to take note of his shared patient. She appeared to be resting comfortably. "Not that I understand it, but I figured she would rest easy once you got home." He looked around the room at the weary faces. "I'm here to watch these little ones, while everyone else gets a good night's sleep.

"Matt, I know you and Newly have to be exhausted after what you've been through; and Calleigh..." Doc stroked the cheek of his eldest grandchild. You have barely slept since Kitty took sick. You and Newly, go to bed."

Matt..." Doc motioned to the empty space beside Kitty; he smiled and tugged at his earlobe. Once again, he was amazed at their connection. "She'll be alright now."

He turned looking at the youngest Dillons. "And _you_ two, come with me." Hadley gave Calleigh one more hug, then held out her arms to Poppy.

Cooper peered down over Matt's shoulder, before relinquishing his spot. "She's been sleeping a lot daddy. When is she going to wake up and take care of us again?"

"I think she'll be back to normal real soon now." Matt gave the boy a squeeze and released him to go with Hadley and Doc.

Calleigh was torn between a good night's sleep and leaving her patient. "You'll come get me if anything happens?"

"I will."

"If she starts getting restles-"

"Sweet Pea! I know you have kept this family together these past few days, but now it's time for you to get a little rest. Newly has been through hell too; you both need to sleep. Doc will be here to watch over all of us." He pulled her in for a final kiss. "Get some sleep."

"Love you." With one final glance at Kitty, the weary young doctor left the room.

Matt reached into his pocket and retrieved his watch. From the outside, it appeared unharmed; but when he pressed the button to open the lid, the damage was obvious. The glass protecting the face had been broken, its working parts submerged in the black sludge. It broke Dillon's heart, but...if the watch was all that was lost from this ordeal…he was a lucky man.

He shed his clothes and climbed into the bed beside Kitty. Even in her semi-consciousness state, she went willingly into his embrace. Again, she sighed his name, her world complete.

"Everything is gonna be alright now, Kitten. Just sleep."

Doc got the kids ready for bed and did his duty with bedtime stories, nighttime prayers, last minute drinks and potty time. At last, both children were tuckered out—and the elderly physician was pretty sure that all four adults had succumbed to the lure of sleep as well.

When he glanced into Matt's study, he was not surprised to find Festus, stretched out on the big leather sofa, dead to the world. One sockless foot dangled off the side of the couch. He had remembered to remove his boots, because Miss Kitty would be fit to be tied if she saw them on the brushed leather.

Doc wandered through the hall toward the kitchen, filled with the contentment of knowing that everyone he loved was safe and sound within these walls. The peaceful stillness of the home gave him time to give thanks for the many blessings granted to this family.

 **TBC**


	13. Chapter 13 - The Anniversary

**The Flame Withstood the Storm**

 **Chapter 13**

 **The Anniversary**

Calleigh breezed through the front door; cool blue eyes scanned the rooms as she shouted her arrival. "Where is everybody?" The familiar jangle of spurs announced she wasn't alone. "Hey, Coop! Hadley!"

Footsteps echoed from upstairs and Matt appeared at the top of the steps. "They're outside, with Ollie. Last time I looked, he was giving them pony rides...or bear rides, is more like it." Matt continued to mess with his string tie as he made his way down the stairs. "Where's Newly?"

Calleigh greeted her dad at the bottom step by swatting his hands away and straightening the bow herself. "He's helping Crowley Finch with that new foal." She pinched the edges and stood back to admire the whole package.

Kitty had forced Matt to be fitted for a new courting jacket; 'Forced,' being the operative word. Sara Carr had done a beautiful job on the jacket. The shoulder lines were smooth and the cut of the coat nicely accentuated his muscular chest. "My goodness, Festus, doesn't he look like a dude?"

"Ya shore are perty tonite, Matthew." Festus leaned forward and began to sniff the air.

"Stop it, both of you!" Matt's brows furrowed, his face brandishing a look of irritation, as he looked down at the scruffy man. "What are you doing?"

"Iz that you, smellin so sweet like?" Festus leaned closer and inhaled deeply. "Ohhh, that's right nice, Matthew."

Matt swiped the little man away. "Quit that! I thought you came to pick up the kids?"

Calleigh leaned back against the curved railing of the staircase. "We did, but we just wanted to see how nice you two look tonight. Two weeks ago, we thought we had lost you both. Now here you are, celebrating your tenth anniversary."

For just an instant, the three of them shared a look that expressed only too clearly how close death had come to the LadyK. With a faint sigh, Calleigh, pushed on, to keep the mood light. "Congratulations!" She arched her brows and made a thumbs up gesture.

"Wudda been more, ifn he weren't so dadgummed thick headed." Festus squinted one eye, as though to add more validity to his words.

"Oh, really...?" Calleigh was quick to utter a sarcastic response. "But…better late than never, I always say."

"All right! You guys act like it never would have happened without you!"

"If we had left it up to you, a hundred years from now, your name would be in the history books as 'The Man That Tamed Dodge City.'"

Matt appeared puzzled by her comments. "What's so bad about that?"

"Well, let's see… ** _You_** would still have been single. And what would they have written about Kitty?" Calleigh got up in his face, her tiny index finger inches from his nose.

"That same hundred years from now— _if_ she were to be remembered at all—would likely find groups of women writing romantic stories about 'Kitty Russell and her undying love for the thick headed marshal!'"

Matt shoved the girl's hand aside. "Don't be ridiculous. I would have-"

"Matt, are you two fighting again?" Kitty's reprimand was gentle, as she knew the two weren't really angry. She continued down the stairs, but soon noticed the room had been rendered silent. All three faces stared at her, mouths opened, eyes wide. "Is...something wrong?"

Sara Carr had done an exceptional job on Kitty's new dress, as well. It was a blue satin piece; with lace in all the right spots and just enough skin showing to make the male mouth water. Kitty was wearing her hair down, the way Matt liked it, with soft curls rolling down her back and laying across her shoulders. The three stunned faces would attest to the fact that she was positively breathtaking.

"Miss Kitty, you er jest about the pertiest thing I ever did see and that's jest the ringtailed truth."

"Oh, Kitty, you just look..." The young doctor sighed in awe of her hero.

Matt licked his lips, as his mouth was suddenly dry as cotton. "Kitten, you look magnificent." He held out his arm for her to take. "I have our carriage waiting." She smiled graciously and nodded her head ever so slightly to accept.

Before they had taken their first step, Kitty gave his arm a slight tug. "Let me get a wrap, just in case." She slipped in a wink, accompanied with a smile and walked toward the hall. Matt waited until she was out of sight and then stepped closer to the two awestruck spectators.

He leaned down planting a kiss to the cheek of the pretty one and shook the hand of the grubby one. His action produced identical questioning looks. "You're both right," he whispered. "If you hadn't of pushed, I wouldn't be the happiest man on earth tonight."

Kitty returned and once again, Matt held out his arm. "We'll be dining at the Prairie Rose and _do not_ want to be disturbed." Matt's no-nonsense glare made it clear that for the rest of the evening, they were off-limits.

 **PrairieRosePrairieRosePrairieRosePrairieRose**

Bethany greeted the couple like royalty, then escorted them to one of the private tables in the corner. A candle teased the darkness with a soft, warm glow. Off to the side of the table, was a fresh bouquet of roses saturating the air with their sweet, natural scent. Once Bethany had them seated, she placed them into Tia's capable hands.

"Marshal; Miss Kitty, how are you feeling?"

"Just fine. That was quite a scare we got, though, wasn't it?" Kitty tossed a playful look at Tia. "I understand that Wylie Norris has quite the bedside manner."

Tia stifled a giggle, "Yes, ma'am. He was _very_ attentive." Not to be outdone, she tossed the ball back into Kitty's court. "From what I hear, the Marshal makes a pretty good nursemaid as well."

There was laughter enough for both women, but Matt was feeling like the odd man out. A faint scowl touched his face, as he wondered why a woman couldn't just say what she meant, instead of all this code talk. He forced a somewhat embarrassed smile, while waiting for them to finish.

Although, Tia had menus in her hand, she made no effort to give them to her customers. "Of course, anything on the menu is available; but with your permission, Bethany has prepared a special dinner for this occasion. It will begin with-"

"Tia," Kitty stopped the girl before she could recite the bill-of-fare. "If Bethany planned it, it's got to be fantastic. Just surprise us." The young waitress left the table wearing the radiant smile that Cooper was so fond of.

Matt's attention returned to Kitty. "Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?"

"You did; but you're allowed to say it again. Marshal, you are looking quite handsome yourself. That jacket really looks good on you." As Kitty imagined the muscles under the material, she could feel that warm, familiar current stirring in her body.

"Thank you, ma'am. I will admit, my wife made me get fitted for it. I don't dress up much," he leaned closer, as though he were confiding a secret, "Seeing as I'm just a cowboy at heart."

"Oh, I see. Well, do you think your wife is trying to change you from being a cowboy?"

Matt sighed and assumed a thoughtful expression. "No." He reached across the table taking her hands in his, staring into her eyes. "In twenty years, she has never tried to change me. She loves her Cowboy…" His words stopped and he squeezed her hands, "And he loves her."

For those few moments, the world around them ceased to exist. If it hadn't been for Tia bringing the first course to the table, the Dillons might very well have created an extremely embarrassing situation for others at the Prairie Rose. The break, instigated by the arrival of food, was a much needed cooling down period and the couple settled back to enjoy the meal.

Bethany had gone to a great deal of trouble, planning such a special menu. Matt wasn't sure about the tiny canapés, with some kind of crab spread on it. If you had a plate full of 'em, it might be all right. He enjoyed the soup; but again, it wasn't something that stuck to his ribs. What he did enjoy, was watching Kitty's enthusiasm as Tia brought one course after the next.

Matt was finally won over, when the main course was served with a flourish. Bethany had special-ordered two of the biggest Porterhouse steaks he had ever seen. Kitty didn't stand a prayer of eating hers, but Matt usually cleaned up anything left on her plate. This time, he had to struggle to do so.

"That was fantastic." Matt leaned back in his chair. A beautiful woman, a great meal—what more could a man ask for? Okay, he knew what he was going to 'ask for' as soon as he got her home…but, the point was, it was a splendid evening so far.

Reaching into the pocket of his newly-tailored jacket for the little jeweler's box, Matt hoped to add to the perfection. While Kitty was looking across the room, he slid the little box next to her plate.

She saw his movement and looked down discovering the gift. "What is this?" She feigned great surprise as she picked up the blue velvet box and opened the hinged lid. Her hand went to her mouth, but not in time to capture the gasp. "Oh, Matt, It's beautiful!" Kitty pulled the broach from its fancy box. It was a double heart—one, lined with tiny sapphires and the other, little diamonds.

Matt cleared his throat, preparing to recite the history of the piece. It was important that she knew he had not just picked something from a catalogue, but chose a gift with a history that matched theirs. "I had it made especially for you. The sapphires match your eyes and the diamonds symbolize love and endurance. It's called, a Double Witches Heart. It's a token of love; legend has it that the wearer has bewitched the giver."

He watched her sapphire eyes fill with tears. Now, he wished he had waited to give it to her when they were alone. He was getting ready to say something, when Kitty pulled a similar box from her reticule. The name on the box was the local jeweler, Miles Tallen.

"It's not something new, but..." Now it was her turn to slide a box over to him. He slipped the lid from the fancy cardboard container, only to find his watch—his most beloved, but ruined, watch. "Miles took it apart and cleaned it out. He had to replace some parts, but... I feel like I've slighted you." Again, blue merged with blue…and the rest of the world dissolved.

"Are you two ready for dessert?" Tia looked at the couple. Then she looked at the way the couple was looking at each other. She hadn't been a woman a long time, but long enough to know that dessert wasn't what they wanted most. "Maybe I can box it up for you to take home?"

Matt rose from his chair…and pulled Kitty from hers with a touch more urgency than would have passed for proper etiquette. "Thank you, Tia. Everything was just wonderful. I'll pick up the dessert tomorrow."

As Matt spoke, he was gathering Kitty's wrap and putting the reticule into her hand, while steering her toward the door. "Please, please tell Bethany it was the best meal I've ever had. And...the service...great service. Just _Great_. Thank you!"

Kitty looked over her shoulder, as she was being ushered out; but Matt left her no time for good-bye's, or thank-you's. His massive hand found its way to her shoulder, gently propelling her out the door.

Bethany walked over and stood behind Tia, as together they watched the Marshal and his lady, all but run out the door. "What do you think?" There was a faint snickering in Tia's voice.

"I think they'll be lucky if they make it home."

 **DodgeHouseDodgeHouseDodgeHouseDodgeHouse**

"I can't believe you just did that!" Kitty wasn't complaining, she was just stunned. Her body was making the same demands as his, so she was more than willing to follow his lead. "I _knew_ we should have bought a place in town!"

Matt grabbed her hand and proceeded to pull her down the street. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?"

"Dodge House." He had an urgency in his voice that she recognized all too well.

"Ohh," Kitty grinned like a schoolgirl. She was impressed with his ingenuity, but they needed to walk faster!

Matt held the door for his wife to enter the lobby. She stood back while he went to the front desk. "Howie, we need a room."

"Marshal, you staying in town tonight?"

"Well, I am if you'll give me a room." Matt was trying to keep his frustration under control, but his tone was just barely civil.

"What's the occasion?" Howie looked behind him at the keys on the board.

"It's our Anniversary."

Howie had a key in his hand, but Matt's announcement caused him to pause. "Anniversary? Say, we have a Honeymoon Special that might-"

Matt reached across the counter and grabbed the key from Howie's hand. "No thanks. This will do fine." Matt made a rapid half-turn before looking back. "What room is it?" He stepped across the room, to again grab Kitty's hand, then pulled her toward the stairs.

"Number 8; at the end of the hall." Unlike the two girls at the Prairie Rose, Howie did not understand the urgency in the Marshal's actions.

Matt kicked the door shut as he pulled his wife into his arms. He cursed that beautiful dress for having so many tiny clasps; while Kitty fought the urge to rip his shirt open, rather than mess with the buttons.

Despite their frustrations and obstacles, they managed to relieve themselves of everything, but their desires.

Their natural desire for each other was intensified by two things: First, the gifts that had expressed such sentiment and love for one another; and secondly—but certainly not least—this would be the first time they'd made love since Kitty had been sick. She had been so frail during the recovery, that he was more concerned with her health, than his sexual needs...or hers.

At last, They tumbled into bed, their naked bodies drawn together like magnets. Just the sensation of skin-on-skin, brought a mingling of sighs and groans of pleasure. Whatever socially acceptable behavior they possessed, had been left outside the hotel door.

Within this room, Matt explored every inch of his gorgeous wife's body, with skilled fingers and a mouth watering for something far more delicious than anything at the Prairie Rose.

Kitty moaned and writhed under him, her body starving for more. She cried out, the need in her body consuming her. Kitty slipped out of his grasp and moved up to straddle his body, taking him in slowly, fully until they were one. Matt felt her body tightening, pulling him in deeper. Undulating slowly at first, until their bodies demanded more…and more…and more until,. like the lightning that shattered the tree, the current shot through their bodies, exploding into rapture. They clung to one another fighting for a breath, leaving the world behind—if only for a few moments.

With their ravenous desires appeased, the room fell quiet with contentment. Kitty stretched languidly across Matt's chest, their world secured by the beating of his heart.

With her ear pressed close, Matt's deep voice rumbled through Kitty. "I was so scared I was going to lose you." He reached down and pulled her up into the security of his arms. "Saying, 'I love you' sometimes just doesn't seem like enough."

"I'll leave it to my Cowboy to come up with a better way." Kitty reached up, branding his cheek with a kiss. "I didn't thank you for the beautiful broach, Matt. And I love the legend that goes with it."

Matt pulled her closer, a rumbling laugh bubbling from deep within his chest. "Sweetheart, I think you just did."

She gave him a playful nudge, which he returned, along with a kiss. "While we're being grateful, I want to thank you, Kitten, for the watch. You know, it's my most prized possession..." He placed another kiss on her delicious lips, while feeling a renewed hunger, stirring within, "…After you."

 **FIN**


End file.
